Many Disney films feature talking animals, but there’s only one franchise that also manages to include social commentary on everything from race to law enforcement and beyond: 2016’s “Zootopia”, and the sequel to that hit film has once again been a hit in theaters, and now, on video-on-demand.. When the first “Zootopia” movie came out in 2016, It rose in popularity quickly because of its humor and suspenseful scenes but also its astute observations on prejudice and implicit bias. Most kids nowadays remember the film as an important part of their childhood as it shows the audience how stereotypes and discrimination affect mindsets, and “Zootopia 2” continues in that same tradition.
Following protagonist Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin of “Once Upon a Time”), a small town rabbit cop who always dreamed of becoming a police officer even though no one believed she could do it, Hopps’ determination made her an inspiration to the audience and many fell in love with her. Also featuring Nick Wild (voiced by Jason Bateman of “Ozark”), a fox who has never trusted the system. He added humor and balance to the story as the two protagonists learn to trust each other and solve a major case.
“The original ‘Zootopia’ felt different from other animated movies because it was about things that were never talked about in other movies at the time,” Emaya Ismail (7) said.
The sequel builds on what fans already love while introducing new situations and characters like pit viper Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan of “Everything Everywhere All at Once”). Judy and Nick are more experienced now, but they still face challenges that test their teamwork and beliefs — namely, the discovery that reptiles helped found the titular city of Zootopia. The plot continues to focus on problem-solving and understanding others while also keeping the comedy that made the first movie enjoyable foregrounded. The plot line doesn’t repeat, but instead it expands the world of Zootopia and goes in-depth on how it’s changing. This helps the movie keep an interesting and natural continuation instead of an out-of-the-blue follow-up that tends to plague Disney franchises (see “Moana 2” or “Ralph Breaks the Internet”).
The critical and audience reactions to “Zootopia 2” have been mixed but mostly positive. Many viewers were excited to see their favorite characters again and enjoyed the new story. Others felt that the first movie was hard to top because it has become so nostalgic and idealized over the years.
“The first ‘Zootopia’ will always be my favorite, but it was still fun to see Judy and Nick work together,” Iman Ahmed (9) said.
Due to the high interest in this iconic cinematic universe, people are already asking if Disney plans to make another. The ending left room for a continued storyline, which makes fans hopeful for “Zootopia 3”, and director Jared Bush has officially announced that it is already in development. Whether or not this is promising, especially since nearly a decade lapsed between the first two entries, remains to be seen.
For now, though, “Zootopia 2” is available to rent or buy, with speculation that it will hit Disney+ for subscribers to stream sometime in April.
