Zootopia 2 Review

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a production company creates an unnecessary sequel to a standalone movie, thereby reducing how much I enjoyed the first movie. This was not the case, however, with Zootopia 2. It was an extremely enjoyable experience,  in no way degrading the first flawless movie.

The exposition of the movie was quickly paced, allowing for little to no boredom on my part. The sequel to this movie takes place about a week after the plot of the first. In short, Judy Hops and Nick Wilde are, much to my surprise, still seen as juvenile cops, not given the sophisticated cases they were hoping for. However, similarly to the first movie, Judy has a hunch regarding the snakes, who are notoriously stereotyped and excluded from the city of  Zootopia. The movie is a thrilling, humorous, and nostalgic adventure about solving this particular hunch of Judy’s. We meet new characters and are reunited with fan favorites.

Speaking of which, Chief Bogo, Flash, Mr. Big, Gazelle, Judy’s parents, and Clawhauser made a marvelous return in the sequel. Moreover, the sequel introduced new characters into the movie, most notably a snake, Gary, and a beaver podcaster, Nibbles, both of whom work with Nick and Judy to figure out the ominous secret being kept from the people of Zootopia.

In an interview with The Loveland Roar, Suri Pinon (12) mentioned that she really enjoyed the movie because she enjoyed it when she was younger and “had a fun time going to the movies to relive the experience.” The movie-watching experience is undoubtedly elevated with previously watching the first one as a child. As high schoolers, and having already been familiar with this fantastic movie, we are left with a nostalgic and sentimental experience. Mia Murphy (12) also agrees that, “the movie was a fantastic experience. I loved watching it with my friends and seeing all of the new characters.” 

In terms of stars, I choose to give this movie 5. There was a great progression of the plot throughout the movie, with a perfect amount of “Disney magic” incorporated throughout the movie. When I wasn’t bursting out into laughter, I was seriously invested in the story while watching. Overall, the hour and 48 minutes I spent watching this movie were invaluable. I created new memories while also being brought back to many childhood ones.