From my vantage point, Rich Moore and Byron Howard’s 2016 Disney Animation Studios film Zootopia is one of the finest American animated films of the 21st century. It’s whimsical, amusing and colorful enough to appeal to the children in the crowd, but is also teaching them something important. Zootopia is a children’s film about racism and xenophobia, and its message is strong but is delivered with a light touch. But would it be a problem if a sequel just did that again? Considering the constantly chaotic state of the world in 2025, I would argue it isn’t. It wouldn’t be a bad thing for American audiences in general to revisit the messaging Zootopia (2016) offers, and in this new sequel we get more of that, but there’s also so much more in Zootopia 2 to enjoy. 

Kicking off only one week after the end of the first Zootopia, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) are officially partners at the Zootopia Police Department, and they’re excited at the opportunity to work together, but feel the need to prove themselves as a pair. They stumble upon a case involving a snake (Ke Huy Quan) who is banished from the city of Zootopia for reasons that aren’t his fault. This opens a door to a previously unseen corruption in the city that Judy and Nick must uncover.

In the first Zootopia, everyone’s preconceived notions about Nick Wilde, a fox, were challenged, once he proved himself to be truly good. In this sequel, reptiles are banned from the city for reasons no one quite knows, and Gary, Quan’s snake character must prove something to allow his family to return home, and there’s an evil family of felines determined to prevent this. This feels like a relatively obvious metaphor for immigration in the United States, how this country was built on the backs of immigrants, and now they’re being demonized by a group of corrupt people in power.

And Zootopia 2 is never subtle about what it’s trying to say, and honestly, in a less politically volatile time I would argue this feels pretty heavy handed. But considering where we are right now, this kind of beat-you-over-the-head messaging feels kind of essential. You could also say this sledgehammer-level subtlety also applies to the recent sequel Wicked: For Good, but at this very moment in time, I’m saying this is a feature and not a bug. Audiences need this kind of thing that they’ll enjoy and have fun with while they’re watching it, but might leave thinking about how this relates to the modern day hellscape we’re all existing in right now.

The voice cast, again, is totally bringing it. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman are well aware of who these characters are at this point and there is a lot of detail and personality in these characters, so much that it’s hard not to root for this friendship to succeed. Ke Huy Quan is sweet and empathetic as the misunderstood snake, and Andy Samberg is giving a performance with different levels to it as the black sheep of the all-powerful Lynxley family. We also have plenty of big names like Idris Elba, Quinta Brunson, Danny Trejo and David Stratharin popping up in various roles – and of course, Shakira returns as the gazelle pop star. However, the highlight of the voice cast is comedian Fortune Feimster, flawlessly cast as Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver who becomes an unlikely ally to Judy and Nick. Feimster brings so much of her unique comic energy to this, and she couldn’t be funnier. I’d almost want to watch a complete spinoff movie about this character.

The animation style on display here is once again immersive and inventive. One of the best things about the first Zootopia was the world building – a cityscape that’s recognizably comparable to a big American city, but is simultaneously totally different from anything we’ve ever seen in a movie like this. And from a sequel, you’d want that world to be expanded and better defined, and it totally is. There are plenty of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it visual gags and pop culture references that somehow never become grating. Specifically, there are references to The Shining and The Silence of the Lambs that had me and some of the adults in the theater howling with laughter, but would probably leave the children in the crowd scratching their heads.

So, Zootopia 2 isn’t reinventing the sequel wheel, but it doesn’t succumb to that sequel temptation of just doing the same thing again. We do a couple of the same bits again – we have some time with the sloths and another fantastic The Godfather parody, but it’s well done enough to not really be a problem. Also the beats and themes are somewhat familiar, but considering the world in which we find this movie, i still think those themes are very worthwhile. The animation is still gorgeous, the Zootopia universe is expanded in compelling ways, the script is fast and funny, and the voice cast is still doing a remarkable job. And ultimately the film leaves you enthusiastic to see another one of these. So, considering the films Disney Animation Studios has released in the last few years, I would consider this an undisputed success.