ZOOTOPIA 2: A Worthy Return to the Wild?

It’s Thanksgiving weekend, which means families are visiting, kids are out of school, and your house may feel like a zoo. Walt Disney Animation Studios may be here to save the day if only for a little while, as the long-awaited sequel Zootopia 2 is out in theaters now! Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Idris Elba return alongside newcomers to the franchise, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, and Patrick Warburton.

The Setup

Directors and writers Jared Bush and Byron Howard take us back to Zootopia. Officers Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) return hot off the heels of their big bust of the Mayor in the previous movie. However, their partnership and careers hang in the balance as a brand-new case unfolds.

Spoilers Ahead

Overall, this film takes what the first film built a foundation upon, which is how all animals are similar and they can all cohabitate together in the environments that were built. It’s a lesson that is amplified in this film as Gary, the snake (Ke Huy Quan), steals the original invention book from the Lynxly family, who had claimed they invented it. Much like the real world, the Lynxly family is another rich and powerful family that stole the invention idea of Zootopia from Gary’s grandmother and banished reptiles from Zootopia in a xenophobic and harsh manner. Aside from that, they delve more into the relationship between Judy and Nick and how Bunnies and Foxes cannot coexist due to their differences. While the film has a couple of important messages, at no point does it ever become muddled. The character dynamics continue to work extremely well in a film that is full of surprisingly good action and packed with even more heart and emotion.

Communication

In a year that largely has felt lifeless and bland in terms of children’s films, Zootopia 2 is a step up from the first film and one that works beautifully. The new characters are all hilarious and important additions, even Beaver podcaster and conspiracy theorist Nibbles (Fortune Feimster) and new Mayor and former action movie star Mayor Winddancer (Patrick Warburton). I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did, and the film did not shy away from allowing the more emotional beats of the film to breathe at the same time. There is a surprising twist that I didn’t see coming, although it is one that I should have, but that speaks to the overall immersion of the film itself.

Zootopia 2 is a worthy sequel and one that will have families coming closer together, as it will have you laughing and almost in tears at times. My theater was surprisingly packed, and I would recommend going out to see it this weekend! Zootopia 2 is in theaters everywhere now!

Overall Grade: 5/5 Animal Kingdoms

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