'Zootopia 2' review: Fur, fun, and enough purr-sonality to keep you watching

Courtesy of Disney

---

The world of “Zootopia” remains inherently fascinating, a reminder of when Disney was willing to push creatively instead of leaning on endless sequels and squeezing dry whatever IP was within reach. The first film baked sharp metaphors about affordable housing, poverty, and capitalism into the cuddly chaos of anthropomorphized animals living in a city supposedly built for everyone. It wasn’t perfect, but it was fresh, engaged with its ideas, and gave us an odd-couple duo in Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde that actually felt worth rooting for.

“Zootopia 2” continues that identity, but with noticeably less spark. Instead of evolving the dynamic or expanding the world in meaningful ways, the sequel mostly recycles the formula. The animal puns are plentiful (a gym called Trunks exclusively for elephants is admittedly a great bit, and maybe a reason Zootopia should be cancelled), there is yet another case for Judy and Nick to solve, and there is yet another third-act twist that the adults in the room will spot long before it happens. The little girl next to me, however, absolutely lost her mind, so credit where it’s due.

The film is undeniably gorgeous to look at and the voice cast is stacked, including David Strathairn chewing into the villain role with relish. The movie certainly keeps itself busy, and younger audiences will be more than entertained. Still, it is clear directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard are reaching for deeper themes. Acceptance, belonging, and the idea that real progress requires acknowledging our differences all float through the narrative. It is admirable, and the dad jokes hit more often than not, but the film never digs deep enough to feel substantial. It is pleasant, but also strangely disposable.

Despite the nine-year gap between films, the sequel picks up just a week after Nick and Judy stopped the villainous mayor (Jenny Slate) and became instant celebrities as the city’s first bunny-fox partnership. Unsurprisingly, the spotlight is short-lived. They need to prove they are more than a novelty act, which pushes them into a conspiracy involving a snake marginalized by Zootopia’s social hierarchy. Reptiles are relegated to Marsh Market, the city’s makeshift ghetto, and the script wants you to feel the weight of that prejudice, even if the film itself isn’t fully committed to examining it.

That snake, voiced with warmth by Ke Huy Quan, derails a glamorous gala to expose the city’s sanitized history and the hypocrisy of those in power. Judy and Nick are soon fugitives in a plot that raises the stakes on paper, yet still feels strangely stagnant and overly familiar.

The emotional beats, including the themes I already mentioned, remain surface-level. Gary da’Snake (yes, that is his actual name) wants to reunite with his family and be treated like a citizen instead of a threat. The sentiment works, and in today’s political climate, the metaphors land harder than the filmmakers probably intended, but Disney is never going to take its commentary far enough to risk making anyone uncomfortable.

Nobody is really expecting “Zootopia 2” to be deeply political, but the movie clearly knows the territory it is hovering over. There are even jokes about using humor as a coping mechanism for childhood trauma and how foxes will do absolutely anything except go to therapy. These moments hint at something sharper, but the film pulls back every time it gets close to saying something meaningful.

At least it has more purpose than “Moana 2,” which felt engineered entirely in a boardroom to sell toys. Gary is a worthwhile addition, colorfully animated and charming enough to give the film some emotional anchor.

And let’s be honest, this will not be the last time we wander through Zootopia. The world is big enough to justify more stories, unlike, say, “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which feels like a franchise expansion no one asked for. If future sequels keep the jokes clever and the world visually rich, audiences will still show up and laugh at the animal puns. I probably will too, even if the magic is starting to wear thin. 

“Zootopia 2” proves the franchise still has life in it, even if this chapter feels more like a reminder of what Disney can do rather than a breakthrough of what it should.

Grade: B- 

ZOOTOPIA 2 is now playing in theaters.