Zootopia 2 ~ Review

By: [email protected] on Mon, 12/01/2025 - 14:55

I think it’s fair to call the first Zootopia “baby’s first noir,” as it contains most of the tropes of a post-World War II noir film. A naïve protagonist comes to the big city to fight justice, but discovers a disturbing layer of crime and vice underneath the glittering skyline and corruption that reaches up to the mayor himself. The only difference between Zootopia and a noir film is that, since Zootopia is meant for children, it doesn’t end on the cynical down note of most noir films. Zootopia 2 continues the noir exploration for children while keeping the first film’s messages of understanding and inclusion.

After saving the city of Zootopia in the previous film, rabbit Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are now fully-fledged officers of the law. However, they still feel unappreciated. Judy, in particular, needs the validation to prove herself, while Nick’s laid-back attitude is starting to drive her crazy. Of course, the pair get more than they bargained for when they uncover a mystery regarding the weather-controlling stations in Zootopia, which also involves a snake named Gary (Ke Huy Quan), the powerful Lynxley family led by patriarch Milton Lynxley (David Strathairn), and his children, Pawbert (Andy Samberg), Cattrick (Macaulay Culkin), and Kitty (Brenda Song). This leads Judy and Nick on another adventure through Zootopia with twists, turns, car chases, red herrings, and double crosses. Like I said, it’s a classic film noir.

Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard keep things moving at a fast clip, and indeed at certain times it feels like Zootopia 2 never slows down. Bush and Howard also have a great eye for action, keeping things fluid and the stakes (both emotional and literal) understandable even when the film gets super frantic. I particularly enjoyed the references to The Silence of the Lambs and The Shining.

The voice cast across the board is excellent. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman have an easy chemistry together that rivals some of the buddy cop films Zootopia 2 is emulating. Goodwin also adds a lot of humor and heart to Judy, while Bateman’s laissez-faire attitude hides a lot of depth to Nick. It’s clear these two deeply care about each other which shines in the voice work and animation. Ke Huy Quan’s Gary is also very affecting, and it always impresses me when animation manages to create sympathetic snake characters. The animation is beautiful and highly detailed. Much like the first film Zootopia 2 makes the city Zootopia feel like a real place with its own unique personality – the opening car chase through the sheep part of town is a particular highlight.

Zootopia 2 is a blast from start to finish. It has heart, humor, and a lot of fun action moments. It’s a movie that feels geared toward families but doesn’t shy away from that noir-ish darkness. Judging by the box office returns, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more Hopps and Wilde mysteries on the way, and who knows, perhaps the Zootopia films will create a new generation of noir fans.

Three out of Four Stars