Zootopia 2 Movie Review
9 years ago, Zootopia became yet another breakaway hit for Walt Disney Animation Studios as their signature animation style brought to life this incredibly wonderful and vivid world of anthropomorphic animals, using both comedy and accessible drama to explore themes like societal inclusiveness and acceptance. And after the success, it was inevitable that a sequel would emerge. But also in classic Disney fashion, these things are rarely rushed as the creators wait until they feel like they have the right story to tell. Unfortunately for Zootopia 2, 9 years may not have been enough time.
The story picks up not long after the events of the first film (even featuring a small recap of the final moments of Zootopia to catch everyone up to speed), where the overly optimistic and go-getting rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and the sly con artist-turned-good fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are now rookie cops at the Zootopia Police Department, looking for their first big case to crack.
But, as their first attempt to chase down the bad guys leads to an disastrously expensive outcome, leaving everyone in Zootopia to doubt the capabilities, it also leads Hopps and Wilde down the investigative trail of a rare, 100-year-old journal made by the creator of Zootopia that they believe is going to be stolen by a viper, despite the fact that snakes have not been seen in Zootopia since its formation.
As to be expected from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the animation is truly fantastic. From the character designs of each animal, whether they are front and center like Hopps and Wilde or just in the background, to the expansive and intricate world of Zootopia, it’s impossible to not be completely immersed in the fantastical, colourful world on the screen. What especially stands out in the action set pieces is how the direction and the way the audience is transported around the space is so energetic and exciting. Even though there has almost been a full decade since the original, the animation balances well feeling like the same world that enveloped audiences back in 2016, but also feels evolved and updated with a 2025 sharpness.
The voice cast is also once again superb, with Goodwin and Bateman not missing a beat returning to their roles as Hopps and Wilde, respectively. The endless enthusiasm and up-beat optimism oozes through Goodwin’s energetic performance, and Bateman’s dry sense of humour and effortlessly cool demeanour works perfectly. Also returning highlights are Idris Elba and Patrick Warburton who bring the laughs every time their characters are on screen.
As part of the new cast, Ke Huy Quan plays the elusive viper, Gary De’Snake, bringing his natural warmth as the story investigates the true motives and intentions behind his plot to steal the journal. Andy Samberg gets to flex a more nuanced and passive performance as a Canadian lynx descendent of the family who created Zootopia, and is struggling with not living up to his familial expectations. And finally, comedian Fortune Feimster brings a lot of laughs as a conspiracy-theorist podcasting beaver who joins Hopps and Wilde on their adventure.
Despite the vivid animation and brilliant voice performances, unfortunately Zootopia 2 has too much of a “same same, but different” approach to its narrative. Once again, the story explores how a societal divide caused by a corrupt leadership led to the removal of an entire species of animal. And this sequel’s biggest issue isn’t that it’s a slight rehash of the same themes of the first film, it’s that it’s explored in a far less interesting and paper-thin way compared to the amazing way it was all handled in the first film. The emotion and sincerity feels almost non-existent this time around, with a convoluted plot full of too many characters doing not enough to keep the plot interesting. Even at only 108 minutes, the film plodded along at a sloth-like pace.
Unfortunately, the slower pacing and surface level story also work against the general enjoyment overall. A lot of the jokes miss more than they hit, with most of the film’s genuine laughs coming from the random background gags that feature heavily in these kinds of films. If this was a more standard, run-of-the-mill family flick affair, the film’s faults may have slipped under the radar a little more. But, because it’s the sequel to a truly fantastic film from a company whose quality is much higher, it’s notably underwhelming.
Zootopia 2 is in Australian cinemas November 27
