Zootopia 2 Review: Disney Film is a Gem for Adults and Children!
A real gem, “Zootopia 2”. And get ready because, if you liked the first one, you will love this one. You will love it if you are a cinema enthusiast because easter eggs are scattered here and there, and at the end of the vision, they can no longer be counted. You will love it if you are a child or young person looking for adventure, or if you are a grown-up boy capable of grasping, and therefore enjoying, all the high-pitched subtexts and every layer of the plot. After nine long years, we are all ready to embark on a new journey towards one of the most multicultural cities on the cinema scene: we are talking about Zootopia, the metropolis in which a large number of anthropomorphic animals live. In fact, from November 26th, the second chapter of the much-loved Disney film, one of perhaps the most “political” works of the Mickey Mouse house, as it talks about social inclusion on multiple levels, peaceful coexistence, and the difficulty of relationships. A complex production, therefore, but extremely interesting in outlining a varied, colourful, very rich and understandable world for everyone, adults and children; a transversal title which, precisely for this reason, still seems to have a lot to say and address.
It took longer than expected, but in the end, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back on the big screen for Zootopia 2! It was 2016 when Zootopia (here is the review) established itself as the animated film of the year, winning over the public thanks to its charismatic protagonists, a strong narrative idea, and gags that have now entered the collective imagination. The success was then consecrated by the victory of the Oscar for Best Animated Film. That film, however, had the merit of reintroducing a series of social and political discourses in a family film context. In fact, we talk about differences in class and species, abuses by the strongest, and revenge by the youngest. The world populated by anthropomorphic animals conceived at Disney lends itself well to this type of theme, which is thus also proposed in the sequel, directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard. As happened for Inside Out 2 and Oceania 2, it took us a while to see Zootopia 2, but the wait is well repaid by a second chapter that amuses and excites, issuing new warnings on issues that find very current counterparts in our present.
Zootopia 2 Review: The Story Plot
In this return to “Zootopia,” we find the strange couple formed by the idealistic bunny Judy and the slum fox Nick, engaged in their apprenticeship in the Zootopia police, and looking for an important case to get noticed by their boss. After causing half a mess, they come across a big, very big story, which has to do with the foundation of the city and with a lie handed down for generations and revealed by a snake, Gary, an animal that hasn’t been seen there for at least 100 years and considered evil by everyone. However, things are very different, and Judy and Nick will quickly discover it, only to find themselves entangled in enormous joy, moving from the side of the investigators to those of the wanted, working to bring out the truth that will be able to exonerate them and make them triumph justice.
Zootopia 2 Review and Analysis
The return to “Zootopia” is a success. It took many years (the first film dates back to 2016, in between it also inspired a TV series), but the wait served to build a second chapter, which is a little gem not to be missed, between adventure, comedy, feelings, and reflections. A bit of a buddy movie (Judy and Nick are now two cops on duty), a bit of an adventure around the zoetropolian world (from the freezing tundra, to the lively swamps, up to the majesty of the Alpine scenery and the immensity of the desert), a little adventure, a little comedy, and all quite fun and successful. The bunny and the fox, together with new irresistible characters, on which the bizarre podcaster Nibble Maplestick stands out who entertains the city by delving into its darkest mysteries and the hilarious and vain mayor, former actor Winddancer, take us into an engaging story that combines cancel cultures and fear of what is different, friendship and psychotherapy, idealism and pragmatism and lots of fun, on multiple levels, which therefore will appeal to children but also to adults and part of which, for cinema enthusiasts, also lies in an infinite number of delicious Easter eggs, all to be found.
In Zootopia, we had seen how Judy and Nick initially disliked each other, but the shortcomings of one were made up for by the skills of the other and vice versa. An unusual combination that managed to reach the goal with great synergy, and in the epilogue of the film, we witness an unexpected communion. In Zootopia 2we have a chance to admire the duo in action, but this time as colleagues at the Zootopia Police Department. A seemingly mismatched duo, as they are a rabbit and a fox, two animal species that don’t get along very well. In fact, the film shows us their physical and character differences, which are an obstacle to the success of the missions. However, over the course of the plot, the two protagonists will manage to discover that these differences are precisely the engine that pushes them to be a prodigious couple, without losing the singularity that distinguishes them. It is a team effort that leads them to work for the common good. Helping others is an action that “is worth dying for”, as the bunny Judy claims. She was born with ambitions to become a policewoman and do good for the community, a thought that invades even the mind of the more cynical Nick, who has a less joyful past.
This is because Judy, thanks to her tenacity, is capable of overturning Nick’s idea. In this respect, Zootopia 2 often pits the two protagonists in opposition, forcing them to deal with their own feelings, and then arrives at an exciting showdown. The story is very compelling, making Judy and Nick follow a very particular case regarding the origins of the city of Zootopia and how it was created. In the background, we find new characters who enrich the story: Gary De’Snake, a snake looking for redemption for himself and his family after having a terrible reputation; Nibbles Maplestick, a female beaver who hosts a podcast on controversial facts, and will be the glue between the two protagonists. A funny and playful character. We also find the Lynxley family, who guard the truth about the facts, thanks to a diary that Gary De’Snake intends to steal. In particular, the character of Pawbert is well written, who opposes the meanness of his family to meet the common good. There is no shortage, however, of characters that audiences loved in the first movie: Flash, Benjamin Clawhauser, Judy’s parents, Captain Bogo, Duke Donnolesi, etc… Even if for just a few frames, the viewer is able to appreciate the new ideas, but also the reference to the first movie that wonderfully reconnects everything.
So, the narrative is frenetic, sustaining an excellent and never flat pace. As in the first film, the animation is of a high standard, with a technical sector made up of more than seven hundred people. A considerable job that never ceases to amaze. The film’s producer, Yvett Merino, herself claims that this enormous effort is necessary to bring a quality product to the big screen that satisfies any target. Also, because when it comes to Disney films, the viewer always expects to find excellence in what they see and the experience that goes with it. The strength of the film also lies in its incredible relevance: the fact that in such a varied, cosmopolitan metropolis, there is still room for discrimination and exclusion obliges us to make a parallel with the injustices we see in our world, in the real world. A parallelism that scares us and is able to make us think of the worst conclusions. They are worlds in which you can be whoever you want, but there is a component of fear for those who are different that puts minorities in difficulty. In the first film, there was talk of topics such as fear of the other, stereotypes about animal species. In this sequel, the focus stabilizes on the relationship between Judy and Nick, but in fact, there is an additional narrative regarding what was expressed previously.
The plot is supported by an excellent setting, able to amaze the viewer. In addition to the places we have already known in Zootopia, in Zootopia 2, there is room for new places and new spaces to frequent. An example is the Pantano Market, a neighborhood inhabited by semi-aquatic mammals who move in a humid and elusive but at the same time solid environment, where boats pass through buildings and, above all, there is a series of elaborate pipes that animals use to move quickly. We see him in a chase starring Judy and Nick. This system closely resembles the metro lines we find in metropolises, allowing its inhabitants to move easily and quickly. Zootopia 2 is further proof of great imagination on the part of Disney’s creative and production department, claiming to be able to create something unique and extraordinary. A film suitable for children as a source of fun and teaching, but it does not ignore an adult audience that has not lost the ability to become passionate.
In the balance between more serious moments and light sequences, the rhythm of the new Disney Classic is decidedly in favor of the latter: Zootopia 2 is a very tight comedy, full of absurd moments and nonsense comedy, which, however, works great. Here the comedy is, once again, less focused on the main themes of the story and a little more an end in itself, but it offers moments of genuine and exquisite zany, which fortunately does not weaken the message of the film. In practice the one packaged by Jared Bush and Byron Howard – certainly not newbies: let’s talk about the creators of Rapunzel, Zootopia, Encanto, among others – it’s a sequel that elevates everything to maximum power, pushing the accelerator to the maximum on the nonsense factor but keeping your gaze firmly fixed on the story, which remains consistent with its principles, trying to complete what has already been told with additional brushstrokes of an already composed painting.
It is therefore the classic sequel rule, bigger and better”, kind of like told in the review of Oceania 2: even from an animation point of view, it is undoubtedly a better product from all points of view. From the creation of the many animal species to the modeling of many more biomes, which extend beyond the gigantic metropolis, up to the use of lighting, which enriches the staging and gives fullness to the images. From the glittering psychedelic lights of the multi-faceted, multicultural city to the dull colors of the snow-capped tundra to the warm landscapes and sunlit stretches of sand, Zootopia 2 is the triumph of diversity, also from a visual point of view. Ultimately, a film that fascinates, entertains, and completes the good things made by its predecessor: with less fanfare, this must be said, but with the solidity and awareness of those who know they can’t make mistakes.
After the first film, the fans’ hope was that a sequel would lead to exploring those varied environments of the city that give the film its title, and which were only hinted at in the first. It was perhaps also obvious that the sequel would take this direction, rather necessary not only to show something new but to further open the scope of its story. We therefore move away from the streets of the animal metropolis to explore environments such as the desert, the snowy, and the humid ones in which a whole series of new animals thrive, starting with reptiles. The two directors and their large animation team (watch our interview with Alessandro Jacomini, Lighting Artist of the film) have thus been able to indulge themselves in proposing new scenarios, which on the one hand he knows allow a Zootopia 2 to be able to count on a novelty effect, on the other hand they offer that iconographic variety that allows the story to be dynamic and not repetitive. A series of new animals also helps in this, from the snake to the snowcat, from the beaver to the walrus, up to the return of the most loved ones from the previous film (the sloth Flash above all).
Each with their own moment of glory, the characters continue to prove to be a well-thought-out and characterized element of this franchise, once again offering particularly successful and entertaining gags. Finally, it always makes a certain impression to note how much animation has made great strides even a few years later. It is often stated, but it is understood more incisively when one looks at the first one after the other Zootopia, and this sequel, which enjoys attention to detail and realism, becomes increasingly astonishing. Even more colorful and lively than the 2016 film, Zootopia 2, it is yet another feast for the eyes proposed by Disney, which manages here not to appear lazy, as happens in some of its other works. Going beyond visual impact, Zootopia 2 – as we said at the beginning – has the merit of not re-proposing both a narrative and thematic copy of what has already been proposed with the first chapter. Instead, it stands as a natural evolution, shifting attention from stereotypes and prejudices to the abuses of certain social classes towards others.
This creates a convincing allegory of those people expelled from their native territories in the name of geographical expansionism and a supposed ethnic superiority carried out without any regard. A thorny subject, not only for the United States and the history of its founding, but now for the entire world. Concrete examples in our present come to mind rather quickly. Thus, once again, the franchise returns to talking about community and coexistence, respect and equality, launching such messages to both the smallest and the largest with the right language. The Hopps and Wilde themselves, here called to work on their differences, appear to be the first representatives of the need to recognize diversity as the greatest strength.
Thus, once again Disney manages to find a happy conjunction between entertainment and political commitment, exploring how the story written by the “winners” is not necessarily that of the good guys nor that to be passed down. The Zootopia franchise, with its animals endowed with human vices and virtues, confirms itself as the most fertile and ideal terrain –among the many Disney properties of recent years – to face similar dynamics. Zootopia 2, he succeeds in this in an even more complex, subtle, and elegant way than in the previous film, suggesting his own levels of interpretation without ever screaming them, so that the public can find pleasure not only for the eyes but also for the mind. A second chapter of the story, which is, as we expected, a phrase to be understood with an absolutely positive meaning. Zootopia 2, in fact, keeps the atmosphere and spirit of the previous feature film intact and then goes even deeper into the themes that distinguish them. Here we talk once again about coexistence and inclusion, but on a deeper, more delicate, and above all current level.
Although the title does not openly touch on any political issue, it is inevitable that, during viewing, the mind goes to many real situations, and it is this that constitutes the factor that makes the film attractive even to adults. The events of the tender Gary De’Snake and reptiles can easily be compared with what American history, with the events, past and present, of a highly multi-ethnic nation that, over the centuries, has prospered thanks to migratory flows, as well as the exploitation of native resources. There is so much to grasp, therefore, in the plot of Zootopia 2, so much to reflect on, situations in which to reflect oneself and sometimes recognize oneself, especially if in life one finds oneself collaborating with different, complex yet enriching people and realities, an infinity of points of view. Be careful, though, the many contents in no way weigh down the vision, which, being suitable even for the little ones, is rich in humor, physique, and hilarious situations capable of lighting the film effectively. A well-studied combination, therefore, of humor and themes, mixed with a balance even superior to the previous title.
Zootopia 2 Review: The Last Words
Zootopia 2 is not the sequel that changes the rules of the game, but confirms them in a fun and exciting adventure like never before. The only flaw is that the main message of the new Disney Classic, now and then, is repeated and lost in favor of the needs of the plot and slapstick comedy, managing, however, not to weaken. Zootopia 2 is directed with an intelligent attitude by the duo formed by Bush and Howard, who manage to keep the spirit of the original masterpiece intact, not completely replicating its amazing soul, but confirming all its cornerstones. Zootopia 2 is another phenomenal product from Disney, capable of surprising the viewer with its fascinating settings inspired by our real world. The story focuses on the relationship between the protagonists Judy and Nick, increasing their status as friends and colleagues, but not only this, because we follow a plot that reveals the origin of the city of Zootopia and an event kept hidden. Great animation and joyful and electrifying soundtrack. The new characters are nice and brilliant in synergy with already known faces.
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Shakira
Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars)
