When I heard all of the praise that the latest Disney sequel was getting, I was a little bit skeptical. Disney has struggled to release anything of quality lately. The live-action remakes of classics and poorly made sequels have watered down my expectations from the entertainment giant. “Zootopia 2” was a breath of fresh-air.
This film focuses on the relationship between the two main characters, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, as they try to solve the mystery of Zootopia’s history and most famous controversy.
The studio did a great job making this movie enjoyable for both kids and adults. The world occupied by Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde is colorful and fun to be in. It is also full of pop culture references and jokes that — hopefully — go over kids’ heads. There is truly something in there for everyone.
I was wondering how the writers were going to follow the first movie. It felt so original and self-contained — it really seemed like a stand alone film. However, I think they went in a fun direction. The plot essentially falls back on the old mystery trope where — our beloved detectives find themselves on the opposite end of the law and must solve the case to prove their innocence. And I think they did a good job executing it.
Another thing that made this sequel work, was the thematic through-lines it had with the first one. The first “Zootopia” was about confronting prejudice within ourselves and our own society, and while the sequel doesn’t attack those ideas as strongly, they are definitely still being discussed throughout the movie. I felt that gave the film a more congealed feeling and that there was a bigger story they were trying to tell over the soon-to-be trilogy of animated films.
However, the deep core of the movie is about relationships. Judy and Nick are struggling to communicate and function as a duo — this is both in terms of their work and their personal lives. This is a spot where I think the studio did a good job of making this movie for everyone. On the one hand, the younger audience will be excited to see this fun, detective story — and the older audience gets to see a story about two people working out their relationship problems and figuring out what it means to be a partner.
This film also introduces a few new and fun characters into the Zootopia universe. Gary and Nibbles Maplestick are both wonderful additions to the investigative team. Nibbles in particular added a lot of humor, with her remarks about being a podcaster and life in general.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the fun cameo from Robert Irwin as a Koala travel agent. From winning “Dancing With the Stars” to being in “Zootopia 2,” that guy has had a great couple of months in pop culture.
While I do not think that it’s as good as the first one, “Zootopia 2” had me smiling in the theater from beginning to end.
