Disney’s “Zootopia 2” expands on the original but fails to deliver a thematically consistent experience, weighed down by a convoluted story and confused messaging. The movie is a sequel to the 2016 hit, Zootopia, and follows a pair of unlikely friends who work as police officers to protect a diverse anthropomorphic metropolis.
The dual protagonists, energetic rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and charismatic fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), return to the franchise as partners on the police force after successfully solving a massive case in the previous film. What starts as a theft investigation quickly unravels into a grand conspiracy that sheds light on the ugly truth of the city’s founding.
While its predecessor tackles racism in a somewhat misguided, yet focused manner, this film attempts to explore a wide range of social issues, including forced displacement, unethical business moguls and immigration.
In addition to expanding the world of Zootopia, the sequel introduces a plethora of new side characters and plotlines.
With its nearly two-hour runtime, Zootopia 2 feels convoluted and confused in both its story and its themes. It tries to juggle several intertwining plots at once that only add to the film’s runtime, and the sinuous plot would undoubtedly be hard to follow for most of its young audience.
However, the sequel delivers a much more action-packed experience than the original, with surprisingly intricate sequences on par with those of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Snappy chase sequences and crumbling set pieces add to the movie’s frantic, intense mood. Michael Giacchino’s intense jazz score enhances these segments rather than distracting from the activities on-screen.
The film breaks up its more action-packed parts with visual puns reminiscent of Netflix’s “Bojack Horseman.” Gags such as characters wearing “Urban Snoutfitters” jackets and the cast attending the “Burning Mammal” outdoor music festival bring a light-hearted charm to the experience.
“Zootopia 2” attempts to allegorically explore complex and politically relevant issues of prejudice, but fails to say anything new. In the film’s conclusion, the message is presented as “everyone is different.” While it covers unusually complex social issues for a family film, “Zootopia 2” can’t commit to seriously tackling any of them.
Overall, “Zootopia 2” tries to expand its themes and worldbuilding, but ultimately fumbles the execution with a convoluted story and muddy messaging.
