Disney lets Zootopia off its leash for exciting sequel
Nick and Judy are back to solve a new case
"Zootopia 2" brings back iconic duo Judy Hopps, played by Ginnifer Goodwin ("Once Upon A Time"), and Nick Wilde, played by Jason Bateman ("Black Rabbit"), as they team up again to solve a new case that's taking place one week after the first movie.
A snake named Gary, played by Ke Huy Quan ("Loki"), is loose in Zootopia after a reptile has not been seen in the city for over 100 years. The snake claims he's innocent and wants to prove to Nick and Judy that snakes and other reptiles belong in Zootopia, with a revelation that will change Zootopia forever.
I loved the first "Zootopia" movie and was super excited to hear that we would be getting a second movie. While the wait has been longer than it should have been, I can say the second movie lives up to the hype, but is not better than the first.
Bateman's and Goodwin's chemistry as partners, Nick and Judy, is great. It feels like they haven't skipped a beat, but Judy is written a little differently this time around. Her drive to prove to the world that she can be a hero ends up costing them more than she bargained for, and she has some strange character moments. Nick and Judy seem to have swapped roles in the partnership, which leaves room for some questionable actions from Judy, but Nick heavily benefits from the change as he is more reasonable and makes less risky moves than usual.
My main problem with the movie is that the story makes sense for a large time gap, but not a small one. The short gap between movies makes the story feel rushed, and a lot of character motivations come out of nowhere. I felt like there was no time to breathe, and the first five minutes are a very unnecessary recap of the first movie.
The side characters have also been heavily reduced. Chief Bogo and Clawhauser are not in the movie a ton. They both get their moments, but don't impact the story very much. A lot of the characters from the first movie have fun cameos, but ultimately don't serve a purpose in the story. The new side characters, like Gary and the Linxley family, are given very little screen time.
The environment isn't as captivating as the first movie either, but there are some really fun chase sequences and some great jokes. The film makes some wild (pun intended) references to some movies I know a lot of kids won't get, but adults will like.
Overall, it was great to revisit Zootopia. It's a good time for kids and families and is the purrfect movie to take your family to this Christmas! I'd give "Zootopia 2" a 7/10.
Carter Salley is Central Michigan Life's resident film reviewer and co-host of the pop culture podcast "Raving Geeks." He is majoring in media arts.
