When “Zootopia” was released in 2016, 8-year-old me thought it was the pinnacle of comedy and the peak of cinema. So, when I heard it was coming out with a sequel nearly nine years later, I had high expectations.
The original was memorable for its humor, engaging plot and the way it shed light on societal problems in a way that was more lighthearted. While the movie had a villain, the main issue was shown to be the long-standing prejudices among the animals, so I hoped the sequel would be able to use the same discrimination themes from the original film but present them in a fresh and interesting light.
One of the strong points of the sequel is its character development we get to see from Nick and Judy, as their dynamics are part of what made the original so compelling. The growth we get to see in both their individual characters and the way they work together is one of the best parts about this movie; however, I wish it had been handled differently than it was. One of the main issues is not just the external conflicts, but the conflict of Nick and Judy trying to adjust to now being partners. Throughout the whole movie, it is built up that Judy is being pushy and ignoring Nick’s opinions, and this is all resolved in one scene where they share how they have been feeling. While the scene is touching, it didn’t feel satisfying because neither side ever gave a proper apology, and we see them go through a very similar arc in the original.
The pacing suffered because a lot of key information was revealed too early on, which made me lose interest because I thought I knew where the story would go. While it did end up following more or less to the expected plot lines, there was a plot twist that I genuinely didn’t see coming, which helped regain some of the lost momentum and reinvigorated my interest in the story. While the twist itself was great, I wished it had been revealed more creatively because the execution felt a bit lackluster.
“Zootopia 2” did a good job introducing new characters to liven the movie and differentiate it from the original. The new characters were endearing and added well to the dynamics, but were underdeveloped and mostly forgettable.
Overall, the movie itself was a fun watch and had some references sprinkled throughout. I particularly appreciated the nod to Ratatouille.
Most of my problems with “Zootopia 2” are because I have already seen “Zootopia”, and the story’s main plot points are very similar to the first movie. The overall conflict and message are also remarkably similar, to the point where it just feels redundant. While I would recommend watching, as the movie is entertaining as a standalone, I found myself comparing it to the original, and in every category, it was inferior.
