Nearly ten years after a hyper-successful first movie, comes ‘Zootopia 2’, a sequel that has a lot to live up to. With strong writing, a distinctive background score and several familiar elements, the film proved to be a funny, memorable watch.
The movie sees the well-loved Hopps-Wilde partnership make a return, with new territories, species and challenges. Its greatest success lies in its consistent quality of world-building — how the Zootopia world and history is expanded is fascinating. Beloved characters make a reprise, with the rat mafia, old enemies and accomplices drawing excited reactions from viewers. The new characters — including a surprisingly hilarious beaver, a mysterious gecko and several amusing walruses — also pass muster, with some excellent voice acting from Andy Samberg and Fortune Feimster. The original cast also continues to liven up the script, backed by an almost-vintage thematic score.
Unfortunately, where the writing truly disappoints is evident in the character arc of the previously lovable Judy Hopps. In the first film, she was a clever, kind bunny and a great partner. In this one, Hopps’s exaggerated commitment to proving her worth comes off as unrealistically idealistic and uncharacteristic. Wilde is laidback, observant and sarcastic, but ends up bearing the brunt of his partner’s unfair emphasis on heroism.
In all, the movie presents a nuanced deeper message about prejudice and a call to look beyond appearances. The plot also comes with several unexpected twists, making the film engaging. Throughout, the jokes land easily, be it ones based on physical comedy or the odd, unexpected innuendo.
Disney’s latest offering is definitely worth a watch, for the whole family. Watching the first film beforehand is recommended, to help with grasping the context and chuckling at the references. Also, make sure you stick around till the end of the credit roll, for a short but fun post-credits scene!