The first Zootopia is a movie full of extraordinary imagination, beautiful animation, exceptional humor, and rich characters. It is one of those first installments that would be hard to follow; therefore, my expectations for this sequel were definitely tempered. Armed with that attitude, I was mostly pleased that the new film still keeps the jokes very amusing and fresh, and delivers a story that is relevant to our real-world struggles. The result is a movie guaranteed to entertain families, though it does pale in comparison to its predecessor.
Since the events of the last movie, rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginifer Goodwin) and her sly fox partner, Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), continue to work hard to prove themselves as valuable law enforcement officers, even though their ambitions often get them into trouble. Their vastly different personalities usually cause the problems they face, but Hopps and Wilde are willing to do what it takes to make their partnership work as well as possible. In their current climate, Zootopia has banned reptiles from living there. Reptiles, particularly snakes, have developed a horrible reputation for causing problems for the honest citizens of the city. However, Hopps and Wilde, after further investigation, discover that reptiles might have been receiving a bad rap and decide to find out why they have been excluded from their beloved town.
Much like the story in the first movie, Zooptopia 2 deals with prejudice when it comes to certain members of the animal kingdom. Writer/director Jared Bush and co-director Byron Howard deliver a story that still feels timely and relevant in our country, where people considered different or dangerous are marginalized and treated poorly. This plot works well for developing a compelling, moving story, but the film’s gravity is balanced with funny jokes, gags, and pop culture references. Because this installment handles the material more lightly than the first Zootopia, it never has the same level of stakes, so the resolution is not quite as satisfying. Still, I had a delightful time revisiting this world and enjoyed reacquainting myself with returning characters and the new ones introduced here.
Much like Zootopia (numero uno), part two has an outstanding cast of voice actors who bring their animated characters to life. Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, and several returning actors bring their characters much energy and joy once again. The new movie also features fantastic voice performances by Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Patrick Warburton, and several gifted actors. This cast is so incredibly stacked that I highly recommend that audiences stick around for the closing credits to discover all of the awesome cameos this movie has.
Zootopia 2 may not soar to the same heights as the first film, but I still highly recommend it to fans of this universe. It still has a lot of spirit, heart, and an absolutely lovable sense of humor. It is a great movie for families to enjoy during the Thanksgiving holiday.