The original Zootopia from 2016 grossed $1 billion worldwide, which may not be surprising given its gross, but it is also the main reason we’re getting this follow-up. Thankfully, it will not let its fan base down.
The sequel once again features the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman as Judy Hopps, the rabbit, and Nick Wilde, the fox, who are cops living in Zootopia and team up on the same case.
This second chapter sees them teaming up to solve a smuggling case supposedly being committed by a snake named Gary De’Snake (Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan). Judy and Nick track down the snake, but then they begin to realize that the slithery one might be set up for something even bigger.
The movie provides other voices, including David Strathairn as the head of a family of lynxes who might be in on the caper. He sends his son, Pawbert (Andy Samberg), undercover to investigate the rabbit and fox. Bateman’s Nick provides most of the one-liners, but there’s also competition in the form of a wisecracking beaver named Nibbles (Fortune Feimster) who hosts a podcast concerning conspiracy theories.
This sequel is a colorfully zany joyride for its 108-minute runtime, and it has just as many jokes, sight gags, and pop culture references as it does a plot. There are inside jokes that satirize everything from The Godfather to Back to the Future, and even The Shining. Plus, there are some nifty voice work cameos which I’ll leave for audiences to find out who.
Zootopia 2 benefits from its cast’s jolly energy, bright animation, and peppy voice work, and that’s more than enough to recommend, but it also has heart. The characters’ wit and humor carry them from scene to scene, giving the film time to develop its new characters rather than just using them as autopilot for the story. Quan’s character is a prime example.
In terms of long-awaited sequels from the Mouse House, this is better than Frozen 2, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of Inside Out 2. Nevertheless, the movie has more than enough working ingredients to justify its existence.
I can’t think of a demographic that won’t be charmed and delighted by this clever sequel. It won’t be a surprise if it brings in another billion, so we can get Zootopia 3.
