Zootropolis 2

This sequel to one of my all-time favourite Disney animated movies understandably may not have the surprise factor or originality of the first film, but it still has the comedy, emotion, mystery and social allegory that made the original so enjoyable.

Premise:  Feeling pressure from Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) to prove that they can work effectively as partners in the Zootropolis Police Department, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) refuse to stay on the sidelines when it appears that a snake – the only type of animal excluded from Zootropolis – may have been smuggled into the city.

Review:

I loved the first Zootropolis film (or Zootopia, as it was called in the US) for its quirky blend of family-friendly comedy, inventive sight-gags, mismatched buddy-cop banter and a genuinely gripping conspiracy-tinged detective story, all laid over a frighteningly topical subtext about racial prejudices and discrimination.  In fact, it was my seventh favourite film of 2016, as well as my favourite animated film of that year.

So I was a little worried when it was announced that they were making a sequel to the 2016 original, but I felt somewhat better when I heard that the team behind the first film was returning for the sequel.  And I’m now happy to confirm that Zootropolis 2 gave me everything I could have wanted from a sequel, namely more of everything that worked so well in the first film, but in an organic way that didn’t feel too forced.

“…a barely a minute goes by a joke of some kind…”

So for example, one of the joys of the first film was the mis-match buddy-cop chemistry between Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).  In the sequel, the filmmakers don’t force that relationship into a ‘reset’ just as an excuse for more comedic conflict – although they do explore and expand on the characters’ flaws and insecurities from the first film to great effect.  I’m a sucker for these kind of films, and I don’t mind saying that I found the relationship between Judy and Nick to be at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at other times to be genuinely emotional.

The same can arguably be said for the film as a whole – the comedy comes thick and fast, and barely a minute goes by without a sight-gag, a one-liner, or a joke of some kind to keep you amused.  But the film also doesn’t shy away from genuinely meaningful themes, like racism, gentrification and late-stage capitalism, so there’s plenty of substance behind the laughs too.

“…provides a suitably interesting & unpredictable mystery…”

The other great relief for me was that the sequel managed to have a central mystery that was just as engaging as the conspiracy from the first film.  Too many buddy-cop action-comedies focus on the action and comedy and neglect the central mystery – but Zootropolis 2 provides Hopps and Wilde with a suitably interesting and unpredictable (at least, for me) mystery to unravel.

At the centre of the mystery is a fugitive snake played by Ke Huy Quan, who’s just one of several great additions to the voice cast, alongside the likes of  Andy Samberg, David Strathairn and Patrick Warburton, and returning cast like Idris Elba, Nate Torrence and Shakira.  The cast all throw themselves into their roles, and there’s too many brilliant actors to mention who appear as supporting characters that are also great fun (shout out to the Zee-Bros).

“…a hit with viewers of all ages...”

Like with most sequels, if you’ve not seen the first film then this sequel may be an odd place to jump onboard, but if you did enjoy the first film, then Zootropolis 2 has far more to offer than just cheap nostalgia.  I watched this in a packed cinema, and it was a hit with viewers of all ages, from the very young to the jaded adults – which is not an easy thing for any film to achieve.

Note there is a very short post-credit scene, but it’s a quick gag and (presumably) a hint at a third adventure – but if you need to leave before the end, you won’t be missing much.