Synopsis – Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde, team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.

My Take – At the time of its release, nobody expected Zootopia (2016), an original Disney feature with themes of race and prejudice at its center, to be such a success story. Mainly as audiences worldwide resonated with anthropomorphized sensitive-to-all-sides tale, thereby redefining what an animated family film could say about society under the guise of adorable talking animals.

And since the film grossed over $1 billion at the global box office, the last non-sequel from Disney Animation to achieve that goal, and considering the studio’s ongoing trend of turning everything into a franchise, a follow-up was inevitable.

Thankfully, packed with enough humor, heart and breathtaking animation, directors Jared Bush & Byron Howard manage to deliver a consistently entertaining sequel that not just manages to be worthy successor and arguably as one of the sharpest buddy-cop adventures in recent memory, but also brings forth yet another timely conversation. The world might have changed in the past nine years, yet, the instinct that made the original resonate remains firmly intact.

Sure, it does not succeed in replicating the startling originality of its predecessor, but it evolves the world with exuberance and purpose. And with non-stop action, bright colors and smart repartee, Jared Bush‘s written material simply delivers a great time at the cinemas.

Taking place just one week after solving their first case together, the story once again follows Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), who have become official partners at the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD). But despite having saved Zootopia, the duo are still considered to be newbies.

A dichotomy which leaves the duo often clashing with Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba) and inserting themselves into places they’re presence isn’t exactly wanted. Something which also leads to them clashing with each other, as the pair find themselves in counseling for partners who aren’t on the same page.

Unfortunately, this inability to work smoothly together leads them to getting caught up in events with the surprise appearance of a snake (voiced by Ke Hey Quan), the first reptile seen in Zootopia in many decades, resulting in a situation where Nick and Judy appear to be guilty of theft of a rare journal and for assaulting Chief Bogo. Sending the two on the run and needing to solve the mystery of the snake’s appearance and the book’s value in order to clear their names.

Yes, the setup is reminiscent of a fairly pedestrian buddy cop plot, but the undercover journey takes the leads into corners of Zootopia we haven’t seen before. The sequel’s most triumphant win is its sense of scale. Both directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard expand the franchise’s world with breathless ambition—from the icy expanses to tightly packed markets—each frame bursting with inventive detail and background gags that demand repeat viewing.

The action set pieces, especially an elaborate chase through Marsh Market, are some of the most technically ambitious sequences Walt Disney Animation Studios has probably produced so far. The pacing is dialed in so each scene moves the story forward emotionally or humorously.

But while the film is endlessly entertaining, it can also feel overcrowded. With so many characters, the narrative leans heavily on rapid-fire pacing, leaving little room for quieter moments that made the original so tender. And though Gary De’Snake is likable, the antagonist twist lacks the element of surprise. Nevertheless, it finds ways to keep adults entertained while still keeping kids fully engaged, and it never leans on cheap gags. There’s even a hilarious Stanley Kubrick reference that caught me totally off guard and cracked me up.

What made the original film so unique was the way it so overtly focused on real human problems of prejudice and bigotry through its animal characters. Here, the film focus is much more directly on the film’s primary leads. While friends, the new partners have very different ways of going about the job of investigating the issues at hand. Understanding that Judy and Nick still have some work to do on themselves and each other.

Voice performances wise, Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin continue to remain the emotional anchors of the franchise. Bateman’s snarky nature is on point, and the writing gives him and Goodwin plenty of room to bounce off each other in ways that feel fresh. In supporting roles, Ke Huy Quan‘s mysterious snake, Fortune Feimster’s conspiracy-obsessed beaver and Andy Samberg’s aristocratic lynx add delightful chaos.

While in other roles, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Danny Trejo, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, Don Lake, Bonnie Hunt, Jenny Slate, Wilmer Valderrama, Jean Reno, Tommy Chong, Shakira and others breathe enough life into their respective characters. On the whole, ‘Zootopia 2‘ is a visually dazzling and consistently entertaining sequel that manages to deliver both playful humor and fitting messaging.

Directed – Byron Howard, Jared Bush

Starring (voices of) – Jason Bateman, Gennier Goodwin, Ke Huy Quan

Rated – PG

Run Time – 108 minutes