Disney has been facing a lot of flops recently— lazy sequels that felt like a cash grab without resonating with audiences. “Zootopia 2” was the long-awaited sequel to the 2016 hit, “Zootopia.” While some were skeptical that “Zootopia 2” would have the same fate, the anticipation for its release was high.
In “Zootopia,” animals live together in a human-like world with developed cities, farming, clothes and more. The original story follows Judy Hopps, first ever bunny police officer in the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD.) She meets many people along the way, including a sly fox named Nick Wilde. Together, they embark on a journey across the city to get to the bottom of a gripping mystery. “Zootopia 2” presents an equally compelling mystery.
Promotion and Preview
A common problem with many current films is that the teasers, previews and special looks reveal a lot of the plot.
Since the Zootopia movies revolve around mystery, I had valid concerns that the whole story would be laid out in the promotional videos. Thankfully, the plot of this movie was kept mostly under wraps.
The major details revealed in the trailers were that Nick and Judy are partners struggling with teamwork, a snake returns to Zootopia for the first time in years, and the duo becomes a target as familiar characters return alongside new ones.
This amount of information gives the viewer a decent idea of what they can expect, but just enough to keep them hooked. After watching the trailers, I still wanted to watch the movie to see how the plot unfolded. Post-movie, I felt like the trailers gave an accurate impression of the conflicts and major characters.
Plot
In the first Zootopia movie, themes of racism and prejudice were explored by creating a powerful metaphor between prey and predatory animals in the big city. It had a well paced mystery with an excellent balance of lighthearted moments and darker scenes.
The second installment in the Zootopia series continued to explore themes of social justice. In particular, the sequel explored colonization and supremacy.
One critique of the plot, especially in comparison to the first film, is that it moves very quickly. The entire movie takes place within a day or so. While it is action-packed, it lacks a ‘slow burn’ quality. The viewer is clued in with the characters—the audience only knows about as many clues as the detectives—but it felt like an information dump when the mystery is revealed.
The quicker plot could be a result of shorter attention spans in kids of this generation due to a rise in social media and technology usage. Additionally, while Disney is meant for children, some of their most successful films can—and should—appeal to more mature audiences too. The pacing of “Zootopia 2” is weak in that area, but there are themes of teamwork and social justice that can still be appreciated by a broad age group.
In “Zootopia 2,” even the familiar characters from the first film undergo valuable growth and development throughout the movie. It felt like the movie had value in terms of the characters; the audience could see real change by the end.
The Numbers
“Zootopia 2” has been received as a wildly popular and successful project. It appeals to the masses with its heartwarming and intriguing characters, plot and setting. The numbers reflect it: in 20 days, the film earned a mind-boggling $1.13 billion worldwide. The animated sequel saw a huge $131.1 million addition from 52 international regions to its sales during its third weekend, driving its overseas earnings to $877 million. Being geared towards kids didn’t stand in the way of “Zootopia 2,” which is now one of the fastest PG movies to ever earn $1 billion.
The release of the movie right around Thanksgiving encouraged the movie’s successful sales. Many schools had break, and a kid-friendly movie is an excellent way to spend time together as a family, no doubt boosting box office success.
More
Something more prominent in this movie was the presence of cameos from popular celebrities. They were hard to spot, because their characters fit them so well, but look out for these familiar voices: Ed Sheeran, Danny Trejo, Josh Gad, Andy Samberg, Quinta Brunson, Patrick Warburton, Jenny Slate and more!
Despite Disney’s recent streak of underwhelming sequels, “Zootopia 2” is worth your time, delivering a fast-paced mystery with meaningful character growth. It felt just as good as the first film, with some new and fresh elements, specifically new characters, reimagined soundtrack, and deeper world-building. While not without flaws, “Zootopia 2” proves that sequels can still tell meaningful stories, reminding audiences why this mammalian metropolis was worth revisiting.
