In a sequel that doesn’t quite seem to catch its own tail, Richard Tobin reviews Zootopia 2, a film released nearly a decade after the original.
It seems as though Disney has had a busy, albeit unsuccessful year in the box office. None of the company’s three Marvel Cinematic Universe entries have come close to emulating their previous superhero hits. Alongside this, Elio unfortunately crashed and burned as one of Pixar’s lowest grossing movies ever. Even their live action remakes, which used to be considered Disney’s guaranteed banker for success, aren’t the lucrative money tree that they used to be. For every runaway success like Lilo and Stitch, there’s now the potential for a critical and commercial flop like Snow White.
In saying this, Zootopia 2 has arrived at the perfect time for Disney and cinema exhibitors worldwide. In fact, cinemas have been on their knees since the summer season ended, with global box office numbers crashing in the lead-up to awards season. The double whammy of Wicked: For Good and Zootopia 2 is being examined as a saving grace for cinemas and production studios alike. Apart from great results at the box office however, is a sequel that comes to us nearly ten years after its predecessor really worth the hype?
The sequel picks up not long after the first film left off. We are even given a TV-style “Previously on...” two-minute recap, though it risks coming off as a cheap and jarring choice. Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are trying to work together as the first bunny-and-fox cop pairing in the city’s history. Their enthusiasm to make an impact quickly draws mixed results from their fellow cop colleagues and recurring character Chief Bogo (Idris Elba). Just when it seems like their pairing could be disbanded, they get drawn into taking down a cover-up of reptilian culture and history in the city that is being spearheaded by the brave snake Gary (Ke Huy Quan). Alongside willing allies Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster) and Pawbert Lynxley (Andy Samberg), the group become embroiled in the cover up-scandal and are forced to go on the run while trying to reveal the truth.
On an inter-personal level, the film is all about Hopps and Wilde learning to work together as a team, but a lot of their struggles along the way feel engineered for the plot as opposed to natural developments in their connection.
Like the first movie, this film contains some worthy messages, but the sequel misses the mark on conveying these messages in the same hard-hitting way as its forerunner. On an inter-personal level, the film is all about Hopps and Wilde learning to work together as a team, but a lot of their struggles along the way feel engineered for the plot as opposed to natural developments in their connection. On a bigger scale, the film firmly stands against small, wealthy groups controlling power and tries to be a beacon for treating everyone with kindness. A disappointing aspect of the film was the treatment of these extremely prevalent social injustices. Unfortunately, there was a lot less emotion and heart in the way they’re explored compared to the original. Ultimately, the film can’t hide its structural and thematic flaws with a few jokes about the first film’s twist ending, and some brief moments of emotional openness.
That being said, avid fans of the 2016 movie will notice a lot of fun callbacks and easter eggs. Supporting characters like Gazelle, Officer Clawhauser and Flash return in small, fun moments while there’s an expansion of The Godfather jokes from the first film. There’s a funny Ratatouille blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gag, continuing the tradition of joking about the Disney film library. Thankfully though, the film doesn’t seem to get wrapped up in fan service and is still able to stand on its own two feet.
Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman carry their easy and playful banter from the first film through to this sequel, delivering fun performances that manage to convey a different side of emotional depth than the first film allowed for their relationship. Hopps and Wilde have grown closer and are more in tune with their respective partners. Goodwin and Bateman have a lot of fun playing around with this evolved dynamic. Ke Huy Quan, who is achieving his ascension back into Hollywood stratospheres since 2022’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, is perfectly functional in this role but he doesn’t really do anything to make it his own.
Andy Samberg brings a mix of his immature, boyish charm with some of his signature kindness to the role of Pawbert Lynxley. I feel a little more could have been done to make the character more of his own however, instead of coming across so obviously as Andy Samberg in a role. Idris Elba’s appearance is dramatically reduced, which is a shame given how great he was in the first film. Special mention must go to Patrick Warburton, playing Brian Winddancer, the new mayor of the city. A voice acting veteran with roles in The Emperor’s New Groove, Bee Movie and Mr. Peabody & Sherman, he really has fun with the silliness of his character and nails it.
In today’s cut-throat landscape, any film that succeeds at the box office and instills an interest in the audience is definitely worth celebrating.
Animation has changed a lot since the release of the first film. The Sony Spider-Verse films have turned animation on its head but even the likes of Dreamworks and Pixar films like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Bad Guys 2 and Turning Red have equally attempted to push the computer animated medium forward. Although not every animated film needs to mimic the style of these groundbreaking films, Zootopia 2 does feel somewhat rooted in the past. The first film really explored the different worlds and locations of the city whereas this film is primarily set in three key locations. The characters aren’t as colourful as before and I found there to be far less contrast in the world at large. Everything feels a bit more sanitised and orderly this time around, which shouldn’t be the case for such a unique, messy setting like Zootopia.
Zootopia (2016) built a world that encouraged us to chase our dreams despite obstacles and creeping doubts. Its thoughtful exploration of societal prejudices, and how those in power exploit these prejudices to divide us, set the bar so high that the sequel struggles to reach the same heights. Although this movie didn’t quite resonate with me, I’m delighted that so many others are loving it and that it’s having such ease in finding its audience. Moreover, I’m sure that fans of the first film will certainly find something to enjoy. In today’s cut-throat landscape, any film that succeeds at the box office and instills an interest in the audience is definitely worth celebrating.