Zootopia 2 arrives almost a decade after the original, in a very different moment for Disney Animation. In the first half of the 2010s, the studio was at the top of its game, focused on fresh ideas that balanced family entertainment with intelligent themes. Now, a few years and some box office disappointments later, the studio spends much more energy revisiting its biggest hits with sequels. It comes as no surprise that Zootopia, a major success that won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and still sells plenty of cool action figures, would be next in line. The good news is that, more than Moana or Frozen, Zootopia always felt like a film that invited sequels, with its rich city and two charismatic leads who, at the end of the original, seemed ready for another case. This sequel hands them that new case, and it plays as a natural expansion of their world rather than a return that needs to justify its own existence.
The film picks up one week after the events of the first. Judy and Nick, now official partners at the Zootopia Police Department, are pulled into a new case that seems to involve a snake, a species not allowed inside the city, and a possible smuggling scheme. Their partnership is still fresh and both are still figuring out how to work together. Like the original, it follows a buddy-cop movie structure, sending the pair from lead to lead through new corners of Zootopia, introducing new faces, and building on the same thematic foundations as before.
The strongest appeal of the first film is back in full force, which is the way this world is imagined and staged. Once again, the filmmakers have a lot of fun with the rules of a city where animals of very different sizes share the same space. New locations such as Marsh Market, where reptiles gather, are memorable, and new characters work well, especially Gary De Snake, voiced by Ke Huy Quan. The film also loves to call back to the first one, bringing back many of its most distinctive characters and gags, from Flash the sloth to Shakira’s pop star Gazelle to Mr Big with more Godfather jokes, and Benjamin Clawhauser, the donut loving cheetah. The cultural references also return, from a stand selling bootleg discs of Zootopia style versions of Disney films (which the film briefly uses to poke fun of its own sequel strategy) to more explicit recreations, with hilarious scenes that reference The Shining, Ratatouille and Succession.
Much like the first, its pacing is truly impressive, jumping between many new locations to old ones at relentless speed. It is astonishing to look back at how much happens in the film’s one hundred minute runtime. There are moments when you feel the script forcing things forward, like the easy way a character escapes a prison, or how, after Nick and Judy leave a tube, they fall right at a character that can point to their next direction. The film mostly covers these shortcuts with consistently sharp comedy, from physical gags to amusing animal puns, and with Michael Giacchino’s energetic slapstick score, which is a clear step up from the first.
Where it struggles to keep up with the first is in its character development and thematic ambitions. The original was at its best when it tied those together, with Judy admitting she was part of the unconscious bias the film was condemning. The new film keeps prejudice at the center, now directed at snakes who are treated as untrustworthy and dangerous. It expands on the ideas of the first by showing what life looks like for a group that has already been pushed to the margins, and it all builds to a touching flashback that explores the city’s origins and once again draws clear real world parallels. Still, there is a feeling of deja vu, and not much is said that the first had not already covered. Since Judy already confronted and learned from her own bias in the previous story, both protagonists feel oddly detached from the theme this time.
What we get instead is more focus on their partnership. Judy is the planner and perfectionist, Nick is looser and more relaxed, and the film underlines this many times. They argue, Judy ignores his warnings and does things her way, and Nick keeps insisting they would be better off if she listened to him. After a while, this dynamic and Judy herself become a little grating. A particularly annoying scene has Judy claiming Nick needs to apologize for basically saving her life. Ironically, they both improve as characters once the plot separates them for a stretch and lets each one breathe on their own.
But overall, while the original felt deeper and had better character moments, this sequel still manages to be very fun. There are at least three very entertaining chase sequences throughout that offer all the excitement you could wish for. I do think that the other animal centered animated sequel from earlier this year takes its main character to more interesting places. But if you loved the first Zootopia you will very likely have a good time with this colorful and energetic sequel. The world remains very inviting, and by the end, Judy and Nick’s partnership feels stronger and more open to new directions. I would gladly return to see more cases with this duo in future films.
PS: there is an end credit sequence, which has a small but charming callback to one of the first film’s best jokes.