Review: Zootopia 2's cuddly cops return with more laughs, tears, and sharp satire

 

Speaking as someone who had a soft spot for Disney's charming but underrated box office flop Strange World, it's hurt to see a number of their recent original works fall a bit flat as of late, and the less said about most of their live-action remakes, the better (the new Aladdin was cute but kinda meh, that new Little Mermaid sucked, and Jon Favreau's Lion King left me feeling grossed out). But as far as their mainline animated sequels, which have been hit or miss themselves (Ralph Breaks The Internet was all over the place), Zootopia 2 is easily one of their best in years. 

Judy Hopps has been one of my favorite Disney characters since the 2016 Oscar-winning classic, and seeing Ginnifer Goodwin's energetic but sweet ZPD detective team back up with Jason Bateman's charming fox Nick Wilde is a treat. Their latest adventure is even more frantically funny, with loads of animal puns and animal-themed parodies, but director Jared Bush and producer Byron Howard provide genuine wit to the humor, all while maintaining the dramatic tension, heartwarming aspects, and expanding their universe.

This particular story is still very early in their career, not too long after the two fluffballs foiled the scheme of Mayor Bellwether (Jenny Slate, who I always felt was an under-appreciated Disney antagonist), and Nick has joined the academy as Judy's police partner. 

Despite Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) forcing them to go to Dr. Fuzzby's (Quinta Brunson) "partners' therapy" after an undercover mission goes haywire, Judy and Nick go around their grumpy boss's back to find out why Gary De'Snake (Key Huy Quan, giving this reptile co-star a funny mix of innocence and determination) is so desperate to steal a book owned by the powerful Lynxley family, and the secrets it holds about Zootopia's past. The stuffed animal-like dispatcher Clawhauser (Nate Torrrence) is here again as well, now playing a larger role in the stakes of the action.

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Their willingness to help a fugitive draws out a bunch of brand new eccentric characters, among them the huggable beaver podcaster Nibbles (Fortune Feimster) who's leaded with conspiracy theories, the western-vibed lizard Jesus (Danny Trejo), the Lynxley's goofy misfit son Pawbert (Andy Samberg) and WWE superstars CM Punk and Roman Reigns as zebra cop partners "the Zebros". Gazelle, who belts out the catchy new Shakira song "Zoo", is not a fan of the long-reigning champions, to say the least. Patrick Warburton is also enjoying himself obviously as the muscular new Mayor Windancer, a former himbo action hero who's forced to be the Lynxley family's go-getter.

While it's overall shaping itself as a series with a well-made theme about celebrating each other's differences, Zootopia 1 was more concentrated on the biases between the prey and predator mammals and how they learned to evolve beyond baser instincts. The main arc was Judy learning to look past her own unconscious biases about foxes and grow as a person, with Nick showing others- and himself- that he wasn't just a sly, selfish fox, he could be altruistic and learn to trust others again. This new movie focuses more on how systemic biases and unchecked power can make our prejudices even more dangerous.

                                    

It's reflected nicely in both the villains here, who I feel are some of the strongest from Disney in a while since arguably the 1990s in terms of their ruthlessness, and also in how the reptile locations are merged into Zootopia's lore. One can see not just a clear upgrade, but a shift in the color palette from the lush greens of the first movie and more towards hot neon pinks and teals (it's as if Nick's attire is a telltale for what the aesthetic of the story is).

But like the best police procedurals, this sequel understands that the key to any sort of empowering message registering with the viewer is if we're invested in the main heroes. Similarly, with other big franchises like X-Men that also use their characters as un-coded metaphors to talk about social biases (much like the first film, while the tensions among the mammals and with the reptiles were relatable, none are specific stand-ins for one IRL group), it's also about audience connection and wanting to see our protagonists succeed. 

Fortunately, Nick and Judy (along with the lovable Gary) are easy to rally behind. It doesn't hurt that they're both these tiny, cute furry critters that you just want to pick up and snuggle (not to mention Judy, for a cartoon rabbit, looks pretty stunning in a Belle-like yellow dress), but Goodwin and Bateman both deliver another pair of amazing performances- aided by some solid character animation that has them even more expressive during the comedic moments, with very hopeful-looking eyes in the more introspective scenes.

Their banter is charming, and you can feel their sincerity as the fox and bunny's friendship slowly burns into a nuanced romance. Judy passionately wants them to be the best duo in the department, but Nick, on top of dealing with his own insecurities about reptiles and learning to open up more emotionally, is deeply protective of the fearless Judy and is frustrated by her willingness to dive into danger.  Both have strong evolution as they learn from each other, with a couple of powerfully directed and genuinely scary scenes that got me choked up, admittedly.

Though it's got some heavy food for thought mixed into its narrative and a notable line of anger towards injustice in its commentary, as was the intent by the writers, Zootopia 2 manages to make it part of another hilarious and heartfelt family fable without coming off as if the audience is being lectured or nagged at, so it's an easy and high recommendation from me. Given how much money it's generating across the globe I'd say Z3 is pretty inevitable, with an extra-credit scene that promises even more adventures and Nick/Judy cuteness, so bring it on I say.