Zootropolis 2

"Zootopia 2"-a cool breeze of winds that is filled with memories, twists, some sparking chemistry, and an amusing story!

Before watching it, I had no expectations, as Disney had failed many times with their predictable, unnecessary stories, but this time, I was in shock; this is going to be one of my top animated films.

The animation was so beautiful and updated from its first film, like, absolutely amazing, with a strong background score filled with suspense and mystery. This is in between Go For It and Perfection!

The world expansion felt realistic, and each location felt connected, with genuine cinematic lighting and shots too.

Never thought I would feel goosebumps in a Disney movie after Frozen 2!

Just go watch it in theaters-the animations, the characters, the really cool twist, oh man, I love it!

Zootopia 2 is a BLAST!!! Honestly after being disappointed by Disney Animation's last three outings, I had low to moderate expectations going in to Zootopia 2, but it not only met those expectations, it succeeded them. This was worth the 9 year wait. Let's talk about what works so well about the movie.

Nick and Judy are a dynamic duo. Their chemistry is truly what drives this movie. While the first movie established their partnership, the sequel delves deep into their relationship and their differences providing for some solid comic relief moments and some hard hitting emotional ones. There are new characters introduced as well, of which Gary De'Snake and Pawbert Lynxley were the standouts. The movie is also visually stunning with vibrant locations, expressive character designs and gorgeous lighting. The world building is rich and expansive leading to new hidden parts of the animal city. The humor is clever and there tons of references to past Disney movies and other Hollywood flicks. The themes of discrimination, stereotypes and social exclusion are strong. The voice performances were amazing ofcourse particularly by Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, Jason Bateman as Nick Wilde, Ke Huy Quan as Gary De'Snake and Andy Samberg as Pawbert Lynxley. And the plot feels more mature and darker this time with a more thrilling mystery and higher stakes.

That said, there were some pacing issues in the middle half and some of the jokes may not land as neatly. Though these are just minor nitpicks as the movie largely succeeds on all other levels.

Overall, Zootopia 2 is a solid sequel that masterfully expands on it's predecessor's strong themes and rich world building with stunning animation, fun new characters and sharp humor providing for an amazing time at the movies.

First thing's first: I'm not a paid influencer shill, most of Disney's recent theatrical output has been fairly substandard and Bob Iger's pledge to integrate AI-generated content into his precious little streaming is nothing short of an insult to the human passion and creativity that Walt himself imbued into this company.

With that being said, I quite enjoyed myself here! I would have been happy to just see Nick and Judy again, but fortunately everything that surrounds them is mostly enjoyable, from the immersive world-building to the much-improved comedic timing (Patrick Warburton's horse mayor character is an absolute riot). Other than a few spots it doesn't suffer from that annoying trend in modern movies where it feels like a sterile product made to please the general audience-these characters go through the motions and struggle with themselves in the face of uncertain fate.

Jared Bush clearly gets what the people want.

LIKES: The Animation The Adventure The Comedy The Voice Acting The New Song The Pace The Heart The References Summary: Disney has so much technology to animate at their hands, and it continues to show that off with this film. Smooth movements, a colorful design, and plenty of character in the motions, Zootopia 2 is a gorgeous display of what is possible with their resources, giving the audience plenty to look, gawk, and enjoy as the multi-biome city returns once more to the big screens. Within this environmental playground is an adventure that feels a bit bigger and more explored than the previous film's montage did. We dive into a few more secrets and environmental factors, playing around with the fauna that is indigenous to them, adapting to the needs as the wild adventure unsheathes its claws. It goes more down the traditional Disney route to teach lessons, but not be so in your face like the first film, which opens up a bit more of an escape from the real world. And helping to keep things fun is comedy that is present in so many forms that it's hard not to find some style to have you cracking up in the theater. Kids are going to become infatuated with a lot of the silliness invoked, and many of the parents will probably get pulled into the fervor with them and making many Instagram/TikTok videos to mimic them. My favorite part had to be the references. Like Wish, Zootopia 2 is ready to poke fun at Disney's work, and you'll find references abound within the two hours as another collective "cameo" menagerie is integrated into the movie. Mostly comedic, sometimes emotional, these references serve as another angle to enjoy the film for a geek like me. All of this is done at a decent pace, an adventure to follow in a manner that doesn't feel slow, and relatively keeps things in check to not be extremely fast you have no content.

The movie, of course, has plenty of emotional aspects with the Disney magical touch. A heartfelt film that digs deep into some hot topics, the monologues are sweet, sincere, and relevant to the new age of viewers. Bringing that to life (alongside the comedy) is stellar voice acting from an assorted cast who know how to bring such heart into their animated characters. Goodwin is always a command of emotions, bringing happiness and sadness in this genuine form that adapts to every scene with such sharp precision. Bateman is Bateman. That's not a bad thing, but his character didn't require as much spread across the emotional range. But he knows how to enunciate and manipulate his words to make the puns come to life, the jabs feel fun, and he really commands the comedic element so well. As for Quan, I loved him as the snake, genuine, cute, and somehow managing to embody his usual self in that snake form. I loved his little tweaks and had hopes they would have done a bit more with the film. In most cases, the delivery brings the heart this film needs, and I feel many will soften to the wonderful work they gave us with this film's content and performances. And if that's not your beef, then Shakira's new song has got a bit more flair, fun, and utilization as this zoo is ready to show you what it contains.

DISLIKES: The Predictability Some Overkill On Comedy Needed A Bit More Mystery/Suspense A Bit Overkill With References Missed Some Character Development Summary: Yet, the movie suffers from predictability, with many of the mysteries easily solvable within the first thirty minutes. Zootopia 2 is having so much fun that some of the stronger elements feel weaker in this film, diluted to be less intense for fear of being too much for the target audience. While I'm glad there was more adventure, I would have liked a little more magic, mystery, and suspense added to this to keep things on edge as to what would happen. Alas, I think Disney's focus on comedy and references may have gotten in the way of better storytelling. To put so much focus into these slapstick fests of clumsiness, goofy walking, and yammering by several characters into what will surely be a new trend, there just seems to be less focus on the older audience moments. Throw in that many side stories feel bland and pieced in, leading to too many subplots battling for relevancy, so that they seem to trip up each other to a small degree. And despite the hints of touching, the character development is surprisingly weaker than I had thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, there are still some elements that appear, but again, much of the sharing is a lot of references, comedic jabbering, and these shallower elements that I was surprised they pursued.

The VERDICT: Zootopia 2 is very fun, endearing, and an adventure that returns to Disney's era, where the adventure was just as important as the messages. Beautiful animation and voice acting work together to bring our buddy cup duo back to life, and I loved how well these were all integrated to make the tale come to life. With lots of comedic elements, a good pace, and references to scope out each rewatch, it's a film that will cater to a lot of audience members, especially the younger generations. Where the movie fails is getting too lost in that fun, silliness, and multiple stories, so that the elements of the first film feel a bit flatter than I expected. Character development is not missing, but doesn't lack the same intensity, nor does the mystery/suspense that also feels like kiddy gloves were pulled on for writing the story. There was more to unlock, discover, and fight, but the new era of storytelling/censorship still is a bit more prominent, and it's holding back some of Disney's strongest elements. Still, in the long run, the movie is a theater-worthy adventure for many reasons, and I encourage you to head out and give it a look if you can. My scores for Zootopia are: Mystery/Action/Adventure/Crime/Animated/Family: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

I'm going to be honest, I haven't been impressed with Disney's performance lately. I was concerned that they'd screw this up. My fears were unfounded. It's not common to find a movie which is as much fun to watch as it feels like the cast and crew had making it. Zootopia 2 is a movie about reconciling differences and discusses our modern society without getting preachy. It's a love letter to past Disney films and the art with references and cameos galore.

The pacing was excellent, characters' actions and motives are believable, visuals are excellent, and the humor stands on its own, not having to resort to cheap potty humor. It is also notable that the stakes are raised in this sequel, and the sequel, while it picks up where the first movie left off, is not merely riding on the popularity of the original (like so many sequels and remakes), but matches the original in quality.

This isn't a children's movie, but a true family film, enjoyable by all ages.