starring: ginnifer goodwin, jason bateman, ke huy quan, and fortune feimster

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REVIEWER: Lyall carter

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.

Some of my beloved Disney memories growing up as a kid were to be found in their animal animated movies. From The Lion King, the first Disney movie I saw at the cinema, to watching Robin Hood on repeat at Nana’s, there was something incredibly creative, endearing, heartwarming and pure magic about these movies that only a story populated by animals could achieve. 

And now Disney is bringing this magic to a whole new generation with the sequel to their 2016 smash hit Zootopia. The original Zootopia had a cracking story, endearing characters, incredible world building, and exquisite animation. A pretty high bar indeed. But incredibly, Disney has at the very least matched the original or it might even, miraculously, be slightly better. A fast paced heartfelt mystery stacked with incredible beloved and new characters alike, laughs and jaw dropping animation, Zootopia 2 is pure Disney magic. 

Detectives Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who turns the mammal metropolis of Zootopia upside down. Testing their growing partnership like never before, they go under cover in new parts of town to crack the case.

Zootopia 2 picks up right where we left off in the original. Without giving away much of the mystery at the heart of the story, Judy and Nick have to track across Zootopia to clear their names and redeem the past. While Zootopia 2 is stacked with brand new characters (Gary De’Snake and Nibbles Maplestick will end up being firm fan favorites), Judy and Nick and their friendship lies at the very heart of the story. This time around their relationship plays as a buddy cop tale, with all the mismatched personalities and misunderstanding to go with it. This leads to a tear inducing final scene of incredible vulnerability.

The world of Zootopia, believe it or not, is even more full and vibrant than it was in the original. Every scene is bursting with life, colour, and characters that will take multiple viewings to really soak it all in. The animation is absolutely world class with a chase sequence through Marsh Market not only absolutely thrilling but technically one of the best animated sequences ever. 

The themes of Zootopia 2 are a little more subtle than the first and delve into land grabs, suppressed and forgotten histories, and suspicion of the other. Zootopia 2 is funnier too with jokes for both adults and children alike. There is just so much here to be explored in the world of Zootopia that Disney Plus series and further sequels could delve into. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another nine years for another sequel to quite possibly Disney’s next Frozen-like franchise. 

A fast paced heartfelt mystery stacked with incredible beloved and new characters alike, laughs and jaw dropping animation, Zootopia 2 is pure Disney magic. 

★★★★★