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Zootopia 2

It’s nearly impossible to comprehend that Disney’s latest release is now the highest grossing animated film in the studio’s history. When it comes to Disney, it’s unfathomable to think of the juggernauts that ZOOTOPIA 2 had to eclipse to achieve this feat. Weeks after its initial release, it still remains in the top 10 at the box office, and as this review goes to print, it has raked in over $1.8 billion worldwide.

The original ZOOTOPIA was a surprising delight. Full of heart, wit, laughs and a great cast highlighted by Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin, it was the type of film that kids (mine included) would watch on repeat, and parents wouldn’t mind. Boasting well-developed characters, endearing messaging, and colors that burst from the screen, it was the production that incorporated all of the best qualities of the House of Mouse.

Given the greatness of ZOOTOPIA, a sequel was inevitable, but would it be necessary? The box office receipts overwhelmingly prove that the answer is an emphatic “yes!” Though no longer a welcomed surprise, it proved to be a worthy companion.

Flying high after the success of their monumental first case together, Judy Hopps (Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Bateman) are eager to crack another. Unfortunately, their investigative styles are so vastly different that they cause chaos wherever they go. Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) finds Judy endearing but threatens to break up the duo if they cannot get their act together.

Though they have been instructed to lay low, Judy and Nick are soon hot on the trail of a possible snake infiltration in Zootopia. During a raid, Hopps finds remnants of snake skin, but no one takes her seriously because snakes haven’t lived in Zootopia in years. The creatures are things of legends, not reality, and it isn’t until a viper named Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) dramatically unveils himself at a gala that everyone knows that Judy was right all along. The serpent is immediately viewed as a threat, but as Judy and Nick will soon learn, there is much more to the story.

ZOOTOPIA 2 is a dazzling production bursting with color and life. Think back to the balloons that lifted the home of Carl Fredrickson in UP and multiply that by a million. That’s what virtually every frame of this film feels like. It’s a lot to take in, particularly in the early going, but the sensory extravaganza is so joyous that it hardly be considered a fault. As remarkable as this looked on the big screen, it’s even more profound watching in high definition at home.

The chemistry between Hopps and Nick (and by extension Goodwin and Bateman) is once again natural and endearing, reminding viewers why they fell in love with them in the first place. There are numerous laugh out loud moments, and as is often the case with Disney’s finest, gags that will appeal to adults just as much (if not more) than children. Most of these aren’t in a double-entendre, Spongebob type of way, but clever pop culture references and puns that often are little more than blink-and-you’ll-miss it gags thrown in for the most eagle-eyed of viewers.

The underlying theme of acceptance and the obliteration of preconceived notions also comes at an imperative time. Messaging of this type reaching the widest audience possible is essential at this juncture, and fits in perfectly within the storylines and settings of this beautiful city.