An exciting adventure of a movie, it’s no wonder “Zootopia 2” was the most popular film of November. The long-awaited sequel to beloved 2016 Disney release “Zootopia” will not let you down. Taking viewers on a trip back to childhood while holding onto the important themes about discrimination and respect, this film is an emotional ride from start to finish. It’ll make you laugh, smile and cry (I know I did) at its emotional depth and blunt honesty.
We return to the lives of Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) the lovable bunny cop with big dreams, and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) the ex-con turned hero. As the now-partners in fighting crime face hardships at the office and have one last chance to prove their ability to work together, they are not only proving themselves to their superiors, they are proving that anyone can be a good team. The introduction of new characters Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) and Pawbert Lynxley (Andy Samberg) bring more layers to the plot as the quartet explore the hidden history of Zootopia’s founding. All the while, Judy and Nick are digging into the status of their relationship with the help of group therapist Dr. Fuzzby (Quinta Brunsen). The cast delivers a great performance through expressive vocals, and the animation team pairs the recording perfectly with the characters movements on-screen.
The plot is interesting and unique, and the character’s self-analysis is a poignant guilt trip for many audience members, but the new anthem “Zoo” from Gazelle (Shakira) has nothing on “Try Everything” from the first movie. The new song, which has animals singing along to lyrics like “we’re wild and we can’t be tamed, and we’re turning the floor into a zoo-oo-oo” at the “Burning Mammal” festival, is underwhelming, but still fun and energetic, and a good fit for the scenes it was featured in.
While some parts do come across as unoriginal (there’s a full “Frozen” knockoff moment) and lacking the complexity of the rest of the movie, the plot pushes onward fast enough that you will hardly notice the boredom for more than a second, and the deja vu acts as an interesting component that only adds to the whole appeal of the story. The unrelenting pace of plot twists and relationship turns makes you feel like you are watching a tennis match, but it’s worth it.
This wonderful film has so many layers of themes and details and lessons to be learned, diving deep into topics of discrimination, systemic oppression, cultural erasure and governmental dysfunction under the guise of a detective partnership learning about trust and empathy. The important messages come at an interesting time. Amid ICE raids and an unpredictable government, here is a kids movie teaching us to accept each other despite our differences.
Zootopia movies have never just been for kids, though the colorful animation may make it seem that way, and everyone has something to take away from this film. Though not any better than the first Zootopia film, the second is fun, complex, unique and alarmingly meaningful, which is a welcome surprise for a sequel.
