Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Hui Kwan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Shakira
Directors: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Rating: ★★★
Nearly a decade after Zootopia redefined what an animated family film could say about society in the guise of adorable talking animals, Disney returns to the metropolis where hunter and prey co-exist under carefully constructed harmony. The world has changed and has changed since 2016 ZootopiaBut the instincts that echoed the original remain strongly intact.
Based on the events of the first film, the story reunites rabbit officer Judy Hopes (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her unlikely police partner, one-time scam-artist-now-police fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman). Still part of the ZPD under the strict but strangely lovable Chief Bogo (Idris Elba), the two find themselves dragged into a new investigation after an incident involving a snake raises suspicions. Their case soon takes them to a grand ceremony hosted by the city’s founding Lynx family, and what begins as a simple theft turns into a conspiracy that threatens to expose the original foundation. Zootopia-Its climate walls, its history and its delicate social balance. Newly introduced characters – including scene-stealer Gary D’Snake, charmingly voiced by Kay Hue Kwan – turn the mystery into a buddy-cop adventure wrapped in chaos, comedy and clever social subtext.
Good
The sequel’s crowning triumph is its sense of scale. Both directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have expanded the franchise’s world with breathless ambition – from snowy expanses to tightly packed markets – each frame bursting with inventive details and background gags that demand repeat viewings. The action set pieces, particularly an elaborate chase through a marsh market, are some of the most technically ambitious sequences ever produced by Disney animation. The voice performances are equally stellar: Jason and Ginnifer remain the emotional anchors, while Fortune Feimster’s conspiracy-obsessed Beaver and Andy Samberg’s aristocratic Lynx add delightful chaos. The humor lands at a high frequency, balancing absurdity with sharp writing, and Shakira’s Gazelle returns with an earworm musical number that plays like a sure-shot chart hit.
bad
Despite being extremely entertaining, the film can feel crowded. With so many characters, running gags, and subplots, the emotional beats sometimes get buried in the spectacle. The narrative relies heavily on the fast-paced pace, leaving little room for the quiet moments that made the original so tender. And although Gary D’Snake is fantastic, the antagonist twist lacks the element of surprise.
Decision
Full of humor, heart, and captivating animation, zootopia 2 confidently earns its place as a worthy successor – and arguably one of the sharpest buddy-cop adventures in recent memory. It can’t replicate the startling originality of its predecessor, but it develops the world with gusto and purpose. If the mid-credits tease is any indication, this universe is no closer to running out of stories – and no one will be complaining about that!