Zootopia 2
- Ben Pivoz
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
It is Thanksgiving week, which means it is time for another Disney animated movie. Last year, following a few attempts at original stories that turned out to be bombs, they went the sequel route with Moana 2. Unsurprisingly, that was a global hit. So, for their 2025 holiday offering, they are trying that tactic again with Zootopia 2.
The first one came out in 2016 and was a pretty nice success. It was a comedy mystery about a rabbit police officer and a con artist fox who became an unlikely team, working together to uncover a conspiracy, thereby saving the animal-filled city of Zootopia. It was okay, with solid voicework and some amusing puns. The story was extremely formulaic and the characters were identical to those from any run-of-the-mill Disney movie. It was fine, inoffensive, family entertainment. The sequel also fits that description.
The filmmakers (probably via studio directives) aren’t particularly interested in world-building or expanding upon the initial concept in any way. Instead, they mostly just copy what made the original popular: cute animals, bright colors, silly action and animal puns. That said, they don’t repeat a lot of gags, introducing a bunch of new characters to create new avenues for jokes.
The story, however, is basically the same. Our heroes must work together to prove themselves as a cop team by, uh, uncovering a conspiracy, thereby saving everyone in Zootopia. It is a pleasant enough cash grab, with a few laughs, but nothing worth going out of your way to see. The modern Disney strategy is to give people precisely what they have already liked, so that they’ll show up to enjoy it again. It doesn’t always pay off. Time will tell if audiences go for it here.
After the events of Zootopia (recapped at the beginning of the movie), Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are partners on the police force. Still not getting any respect, Judy looks for opportunities for them to make their mark. She ends up getting involved in something bigger than anticipated, leading to them going on the run as fugitives to clear their names and expose the truth.
Similar to its predecessor, Zootopia 2 (100 minutes, plus a post-credit scene teasing this becoming a trilogy) bets heavily on the likability of its protagonists. Ginnifer Goodwin, as Judy, is sweet and ambitious, trying to defy expectations about her species to follow her dreams. She is relatable and easy to root for. Jason Bateman, as Nick, uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism and doesn’t really seem to care about anybody. The screenplay tries to psychoanalyze him by positioning that as a cover for his insecurities, yet that doesn’t prevent him from being very annoying.
I did not like Nick. I kept waiting for him to stop being lazy and self-absorbed. It didn’t happen, despite the movie wanting to convince its audience that he truly loves Judy. Bateman always makes for a good smarmy jerk, sometimes even a likable one. Unfortunately, Nick is much more obnoxious than he is funny. We are supposed to want to see them work together, though I found this easier to enjoy when Judy was on her own.
It is difficult to look at anything Disney puts out as something other than a callous attempt to drag families into theaters for a lack of better options. That cynicism never left me as I was watching Zootopia 2. The animation is cheerful, but not dazzling. The city does not feel like a thought-out, unique space. It is used as a backdrop for premise-based visual jokes and pop culture references. The movie does exactly what it sets out to do. It is not bad, merely derivative and forgettable.
3 out of 5
Voice Cast:
Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps
Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde
Fortune Feimster as Nibbles Maplestick
Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake
Andy Samberg as Pawbert Lynxley
David Strathairn as Milton Lynxley
Idris Elba as Chief Bogo
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard
Screenplay by Jared Bush
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