Another furry-eight hours.
That’s the premise of “Zootopia 2,” a fun-loving sequel that provides a worthy appetizer to ravenous kids out of school and their turkey-frying parents.
On its face, the sequel to “Zootopia” is a social commentary wrapped in an animated buddy-cop movie. Our anthropomorphic heroes – one a dutiful rabbit (Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), the other a reformed fox (Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman) trending toward antiheroism – join the police force after cracking a government conspiracy in the first film. This sequel moves quickly after the pair apprehends a smuggler, but causes enough damage to where they essentially end up on probation.
Why We Wrote This
Disney’s new buddy-cop sequel is an animated delight. But “Zootopia 2” also shows how films we might dismiss as “children’s movies” have the capacity to inspire young people and their parents to be better.
Business picks up when a seemingly predatorial figure pops up – a snake, who immediately sends the denizens of Zootopia into a frenzy. We learn later that snakes and other reptiles have been relegated to second-class citizenship because of a venom-laced crime pinned on the skin-shedding villains. Cold-blooded, indeed.
“I thought the snake would be a bad guy,” my oldest kid told me. So did I, son, so did I.
This is the same child who, all of 7 years old, told me a few days ago: “I wish there wasn’t any money in the world.”
At first, it was a child’s desire to “get anything I want.” Then, after a beat, his eyes lit up: “There wouldn’t be any more homeless people.”
This lands for me in the midst of what will undoubtedly be a successful holiday weekend for “Zootopia 2” because it shows that our kids see the world beyond big lights, popcorn, and candy. And “Zootopia 2” shows how films we might dismiss as “children’s movies” have the capacity to inspire young people and their parents to be better.
The pit viper, whom we later learn is Gary De’Snake (voiced by Ke Huy Quan), initially engages the screen in a way that is reminiscent of Kaa’s hypnosis in the nearly 60-year-old Disney adaptation of “The Jungle Book.” But there is no trance, only the attempt to clear the good name of all reptiles.
The first “Zootopia” encouraged young and old to not judge a book by its cover. That included not only person-to-person interactions, but also with the systems that purport to serve us. The climactic plot twist gave us the most unlikely of foes: assistant mayor (Dawn Bellwether, voiced by Jenny Slate), a fluffy ewe who weaponized primal tendencies such as rage and fear. The sequel takes that narrative a bit further, incorporating mental health and the impact of decades-long disparities on outsiders. By the time the movie takes us to the realm of the reptiles, what presents as a seedy underbelly is actually a very soulful and helpful ecosystem, a nod and wink to the enduring good nature of the marginalized.
Quinta Brunson voices a police-issued therapist named Dr. Fuzzby, who helps our heroes deal with their own issues, whether it’s coping with isolationism, or always feeling like there’s something to prove. Still, it’s only after a fast-paced series of chases and near-death experiences that the two settle into self-improvement.
It’s a reminder that yes, it is a jungle out there. But we should still hold out hope for creating a better world, and not just for the haves, but the “have nots.” While that message may arrive at a place of cynicism when it comes to adults, it finds fertile ground among the youth.
Releasing it the week of Thanksgiving is just the icing on the cake. Despite the very popular “Wicked: For Good,” there are still expectations that the second “Zootopia” will garner up to $150 million on its opening weekend. If that is combined with similar numbers on the international front, that may put it on pace to reach the billion-dollar revenue of the first film.
But the numbers matter less than the intent. I took my kids to see Dreamworks’ last animated movie, “The Bad Guys 2.” It was a similar premise, blurring the lines between perceptions of “good” and “bad,” while reserving room to show that people can change. That particular movie captured my 4-year-old’s attention a little more than Disney’s newest offering.
Above all, what it shows is that our kids are capable of great things – and nuanced ideas. My kids were bubbling over at the end of “Zootopia 2,” and not just because of another catchy outro voiced by pop star Shakira. They were inspired by viewing the world through a different, yet friendly and engaging lens. As it turned out, the gateway to Zootopia – or utopia, rather – was paved by the road of critical thinking.
“Zootopia 2” is rated PG for action/violence and rude humor.
