Written by Andreas Babiolakis

As Disney has proven to be confused with how to continue franchises as of late, sometimes we can just be happy with something standard. Inside Out 2 didn’t match the epic scale and consequences of the previous film, but it did feel like a return to a familiar world that we viewers needed to see more of. It works as a sequel because of its continuation of a masterpiece, but it doesn’t keep up with what Inside Out achieved. Zootopia and this latest sequel have a similar relationship. The first Zootopia was a major surprise: a neo-noir mystery for kids that had compelling twists, strong world building with lovable characters, and a tricky message about racism and classism told coherently and appropriately for young ears (not once is it pandering or condescending; it relays its statement in a way that works for all walks of life; those who are young and haven’t faced much racism, and older viewers who have sadly become familiar with the extent of it in the world). We were following rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) who aspired to be a police officer in the hustle-and-bustle of Zootopia. She was positioned to be a mere metre maid when she pursued a deeply-rooted conspiracy with the help of prankster conman-turned-ally, the fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). For their efforts at the end of Zootopia, Judy and Nick were brought into the police force.

Zootopia 2 brings us right back. Judy and Nick have been partners for a week, and they are not getting along. Instead of deeming them unfit to be police officers (which would have been an obvious and tired sequel idea, considering how much growth we’ve seen in the first film), Police Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) threatens to separate our pair of protagonists unless they learn to work together. This warning comes after a case that goes awry, but during said mission, there is a potential revelation in the form of shed snake skin: that there are reptiles in Zootopia (to be honest, I barely noticed that there weren’t any reptiles in the first film, despite the signs that were there in the first place). Judy wishes to proceed with learning how there could have been a snake in Zootopia, and why it was at the Zootopia centennial celebration (hosted by a lynx family who are descendants of the city’s original founder). One thing that makes Zootopia 2 a little less interesting than the first film is that it reveals many of its cards right away, including the power of the Lynxley family which instantly pegs them as the film’s antagonists; Zootopia sells its point about wrongful convictions and stigmas because it steers you in the wrong direction with its twists, whereas this film is far less mysterious. To me, a neo-noir like this sans mystery is no longer a neo-noir; it is a buddy-cop film. That’s not necessarily a bad change to make, but when Zootopia is such a success at bringing a mature and adult genre to young audiences effectively, it feels a bit like a loss when Disney opts for a safer genre.

*Zootopia 2* loses much of its mystery but none of its fun and darkness that made the first film so good.

However, that doesn’t eliminate the darkness that was present in the first film, seeing as Zootopia 2 is just as serious when it needs to be. Furthermore, there is a continuation of the previous entry’s themes in a relevant way. If Zootopia dealt with how people are discriminated against, Zootopia 2 dives further into societal corruption in a 2025 sort of way, including the wealthy elite puppeteering lawmakers, deportation, and fake news. On top of the intense talking points are a myriad of fun gags and jokes, the return of many likeable characters and voices, and the inclusion of new and welcome folk (including Ke Huy Quan as snake Gary, whose warm and sincere voice will melt your heart). The biggest question in the film is whether or not Nick and Judy will be compatible partners; it is a Disney film, so this plot point remains only so curious. Zootopia 2 doesn’t stand too well on its own two feet (or paws) because much of the film relies on the world building and success of the previous film, but I wouldn’t call this sequel lazy or half-baked either. I feel like the film could have afforded to go further with its ideas and creations so that it can work well on its own, but I do think that enough movement has been made — especially with Nick and Judy as characters — that, should there be a third Zootopia film, enough ground has been made that it will feel like a sequel to 2 and not the original Zootopia. Zootopia 2 isn’t just another day at the office despite how close it felt to being just that. It furthers some of the joys and triumphs of the first film so fans of the original will like 2, while creating a new and fun case that will hopefully feel worthwhile to you (it does to me).

Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.