Disney’s 2016 smash hit and Best Animated Feature winner Zootopia was a pure delight, but more importantly, it arrived at a time when its message celebrating diversity was readily acceptable to all. Well, nine years is a very long time to wait, and things aren’t as accepting anymore. Forgive me for thinking that Zootopia 2 might be bland, message-free, and generally less welcoming than before. But leave it to director co-writer Jared Bush and co-writer Byron Howard to make honoring our differences as fresh, fun, and special as ever, while coming up with some new wrinkles that make Zootopia a place we should aspire for our world to be.
The animal city of Zootopia is a place of harmony, although it was threatened by a vast conspiracy revealed and foiled by the unlikely duo of bunny cop Judy Hopps and petty criminal fox Nick Wilde (impeccably voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman). But there are some lingering questions left by the first movie, such as “Where are all the snakes?” There are no chatty birds, either, but more importantly for Zootopia 2 is the lack of reptile citizens.
Nine years is a long time between movies, so the fast-paced opening sequence reintroduces us to Nick and Judy’s friendship, which finds them now official cop parters in the Zootopia police force. But their surprising success hasn’t earned them any new supporters, and only a week after becoming a duo, forces are conspiring to split them apart, seeing their success as a fluke. Even Chief Bogo (Idris Elba), who admits he has grown to like Judy despite himself, won’t be able to keep them together if they can’t score some wins.
Set during the “Zootennial”, celebrating 100 years of peace and cooperation between the various animal and mammal tribes. This is only possible due to the “Weather Wall”, an ingenious system that provides for every type of climate. It was believed to have been created by Ebeneezer Lynxley, an ancestor in the prosperous Lynxley family, who continue to be wealthy power players influencing politics from the shadows. But that same ancestor was supposedly attacked by a viper just as they were about to launch Zootopia, and because of that, all reptiles have long been banned from the city. Most citizens have never seen one at all.
Except, there might be one in town now. And it’s not just another conspiracy theory by the podcasting beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster). This sly reptile Gary D’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) infiltrates the Zootennial gala (where Shakira returns as pop star Gazelle with the catchy tune “Zoo”) to steal Ebeneezer’s journal that reveals the whole truth surrounding Zootopia’s creation. But there are powerful forces that don’t want that truth exposed, and that’s where Nick and Judy come in.
There’s a lot going on in Zootopia 2, but that’s also part of what makes it great. Every new component adds something vital. Whether it’s the characters such as Nibbles, Gary, Schwarzenegger-esque horse mayor Brian Winddancer (Patrick Warburton), or estranged Lynxley familly member Pawbert (Andy Samberg), or new locations such as the lush New Orleans swamp town of Marsh Market where we meet Rango-like basilisk Jesús (Danny Trejo). Old favorites pop up and don’t feel like they’re being shoehorned in, but like they are an essential part of the Zootopia tapestry, such as resident Corleone-esque Arctic Shrew Mr. Big. If you need someone throw in the back of a car trunk, he’s your shrew.
But the real heart of Zootopia 2 is the relationship between Judy and Nick. They couldn’t be more different, and while that helped them solve their biggest case, can it also be what drives them apart as friends? It’s amazing how quickly we fall back in love with these two, even after so long away. Nick is a natural loner and Judy comes from a “fluffle”, literally a bunch of bunnies, so they should never work as a team. And yet they do. He builds her up, she gives him someone to care for. We can’t help but love it. They’ve kinda got a Moonlighting thing going on, whether it makes sense or not. But this is Zootopia, and if there’s a way to make this bunny/fox pair a couple, Disney will find it. I mean, they manage to cram in a hilarious reference to The Shining that comes absolutely out of nowhere!
Zootopia 2 has loads of heart, a compelling mystery, loads of new, unforgettable characters, and most importantly, it still has a message of inclusion that still resonates. Disney better not make us wait another decade for the next one.
Disney releases Zootopia 2 in theaters on November 26th.
