Zootopia 2 Review: Lacks the Magic (and Heart) of the Original
PLOT: After cracking their first big case, new partners Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) stumble upon a big conspiracy involving the absence of reptiles from Zootopia, with the big secret involving the Lynxley family.
REVIEW: Zootopia was one of the more charming animated movies to come out of Walt Disney Animation Studios. While no one would ever hold their 21st-century track record up to that of Pixar’s, they’ve made some gems, including Frozen, Wreck-It Ralph, and Zootopia. Sadly, one thing they’ve never really figured out is how to do sequels, with all of the ones they’ve released thus far lacking the charm of the original. Such is the case with Zootopia 2, which took nine years to hit the big screen but feels rather assembly-line, being a virtual replay of the first movie.
One of the big selling points of the original was that it introduced this great world where all these wild creatures had to co-exist with each other, sneaking in some sly social commentary that was never over-the-top. Yet, perhaps in an effort to please the same audiences who took issue with some recent messaging in Pixar and Disney films, this sequel feels watered down and dull, with it rather just fixating on a family of rich Lynx as the big bad guys, leaving behind the substance that made the first one such a joy.
Despite the long gap between movies, this picks up right where the first left off, with Judy and Nick now partners but screwing up every assignment they get in an effort to prove themselves. This puts them at odds with their angry chief, Idris Elba’s Bogo, and being on thin ice, they think they will be able to prove themselves by foiling a plan by a snake baddie to steal a priceless journal holding the patent to Zootopia’s weather walls. Of course, it turns out the snake baddie (Ke Huy Quan) is anything but, and with the dastardly Lynxley family framing them, they end up on the run, bickering all the way.
Too much of the premise plays out like a replay of the first movie, with Judy still the overly enthusiastic rookie, while Nick is cynical and treats everything like a joke. Kids will no doubt love the movie, with it once again colorfully created and featuring some fun new characters, including Fortune Feimster as Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver podcaster. But one key mistake they make is splitting up Nick and Judy for a big chunk of the movie, introducing Andy Samberg’s black-sheep Lynxley brother, Pawbert, who’s on Judy’s side and eats up a long stretch of the running time. The movie is packed with chases and wacky animal chaos, but it feels like just a redux of the first film, with no new sequences coming close to recapturing the magic of the original, which proved to be a crossover hit. Sure, families went to see it, but so did a lot of adults on their own (me being one of them).
Another issue is that Zootopia 2 wastes the massive voice cast, with big stars in voice roles like Macaulay Culkin, Quinta Brunson, and many more not given a chance to shine. Perhaps the biggest waste are the “Zebros” — two zebra cop buddies voiced by WWE’s CM Punk and Roman Reigns. They had a lot of comic potential that goes unused.
In the end, Zootopia 2 is like a lot of product Disney’s been putting out lately — in that it’s not particularly bad, but it’s also assembly-line and generic. They’re playing it safe to appeal to as many people as they can, but they’re making watered-down product that will never be considered on par with the Disney classics they were producing a few years ago. This is fine for kids, and it won’t bore their parents, but it won’t spark joy in the wide audience the original appealed so strongly to.
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