Zootopia 2

“our differences don’t make any difference at all.” the first zootopia film is really good and was one of the disney animated films that not only made a lot of money but managed to have something to say about the world we live in. while the first film more directly tackles prejudice, discrimination, and racism throughout the animal kingdom, zootopia 2 takes it a step further with another incredibly important and relevant issue: cultural erasure and ethnic cleansing. kind of crazy to see an animated film, especially one from disney, to have the balls to have themes and messaging like this and, man, it just worked so well, while still being a wildly fun adventure for the kiddos. judy hopps (goodwin) and nick wilde (bateman) are as charismatic as ever and with the film picking up right where the first left off, it felt natural jumping back into this vibrant and interconnected animal metropolis. the plot mainly revolves around reptiles and their erasure from the population of zootopia, being labeled as dangerous and threatening. an infiltration from the timid and slippery gary the snake (ke huy quan) at a winter gala pulls hopps and wilde back into the fray but this time they are on the run from the cops (hilariously portrayed by hogs), trying to mend the livelihood of the reptile population as well as their own partnership. the film is so briskly paced and i found myself so invested in not only the main reptile conundrum, but also the partnership tribulations of judy and nick. zootopia identifies the prejudices in the city and disputes them where as zootopia 2 chooses to compliment those original themes with an honest and heartfelt arc about understanding our differences and how they can bring us together. i truly think it is crazy that a cute kids film with a bunch of cartoon animals can have such important messaging without feeling like it is too heavy handed. i think the only criticism i have for this film would be its twist. every modern disney film follows a formula with its surprise villain reveals and this film is no different. i felt, much like the mayor from the first film, the twist was quite obvious from the get-go. it slightly diminishes the drama of it all but i’m sure it is less obvious and more shocking to the target audience. zootopia 2 improves on nearly everything from the first and one of the main aspects is the animation. every character breathes so much life and is so expressive and fun. the highlight for me was anything involving gary. his snake movements were so impressive and were a technical showcase. i don’t even want to know how many artists were responsible for making him look as slick as he was. the chase sequences and large set pieces were impressive as well, with so many moving parts and tiny details making the world feel even more lived in. i haven’t even touched on the writing and comedy. so many great puns and gags with an animal twist. the godfather parody shrews return here and never fail to make me laugh. there are tons adult jokes that caught me off guard, most coming from the hilarious beaver, nibbles (fortune feimster), who steals every scene she is in. i also loved the “burning mammal” festival and anything with lizards. such an excellent film and more disney sequels should strive to be like this…i’m looking at you moana 2.