Film Review: Zootopia 2
Zootopia Will Be Changed Furrrever...
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film Zootopia 2. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Letterboxd: After cracking the biggest case in Zootopia’s history, rookie cops Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find their partnership isn’t as solid as they thought when Chief Bogo orders them to join the Partners in Crisis counseling program. But it doesn’t take long for their partnership to be put to the ultimate test when they find themselves on the twisting trail of a mystery tied to the arrival of a venomous snake in the animal metropolis.
REVIEW
Back in 2016, Disney added Zootopia to its animated canon, a film that couldn’t have arrived at a more pointed moment. Released in the heat of the 2016 presidential election, it carried a message of acceptance and anti-bigotry as Donald Trump was on his way to the White House on a platform that signaled the opposite. The film became a major box office success, was embraced by critics and audiences alike, and ultimately overtook Moana to secure the Oscar for Best Animated Feature that year.
Flash forward nine years later, and now we’re getting its sequel, Zootopia 2, in the first year of a second Trump presidency, a period in which the administration has again been ramping up legally dubious tactics aimed at certain minority groups and labeling them enemies of the state. In many ways, the movie feels like a fitting release for a year filled with anti-persecution narratives like It Was Just An Accident, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, or Wicked: For Good. And yet, it’s also disheartening that nearly a decade later, Zootopia’s social commentary still feels just as relevant. A near-decade of this poisoned era in discourse, politics, and culture; and here we are, still needing the same message.
Zootopia 2’s greatest strength is that it doesn’t try to fix what wasn’t broken the first time around. In particularly the dynamics and partnership behind bunny Judy Hoops and fox Nick Wilde remain a strong core of the film. But that’s also its most glaring weakness as this time, the familiarity borders on repetition. Much of the film plays like the original with a fresh coat of paint.
The plot echoes the same beats—another marginalized group (reptiles, replacing the carnivores of the first film) being manipulated as part of a villain’s grander scheme. The message is nearly identical, treat everyone fairly and equally. The third act even hinges on a twist similar to the original. And the meta-comedy returns, now dialed up with twice as many self-referential jokes, many of which will likely fly over the heads of future viewers decades from now. Ultimately, what I got felt like the textbook definition of what sequels are criticized for; a movie that constantly references its predecessor and outright replicates major structural elements of the earlier script.
That said, I was lower on Zootopia than many people were back in 2016, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m lower on Zootopia 2 than most too. But that doesn’t mean I disliked it any more than I disliked the first one. These are still enjoyable films with strong messages that absolutely play to their intended audience, especially families with young kids heading to the movies this Thanksgiving week. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t laugh at a handful of jokes, even if half of them will probably feel dated in fifty years thanks to their heavy dose of meta humor.
Ultimately, if you loved the first Zootopia, you’ll love this. If you didn’t, this won’t change your mind. It’s practically the same movie with a few new characters and a small dash of new commentary on crony capitalism. I feel exactly the same way about this film as I did the previous one, the stronger side of a B-. Critics will praise its messaging, families will have a great time, kids will get a lot out of it, and I…liked it for the most part.
“TL;DR”
Pros: If you loved the first Zootopia you’re going to love this one as its basically the same film as before with a slightly new paint
Cons: If you didn’t like the first Zootopia you’re not going to be won over by this one as its basically the same film as before with a slightly new paint
GRADING
