Zootopia 2 review: Subversive Disney sequel tackles discriminatory urban planning. Yes, really!
Disney’s *Zootopia 2*, set to hit theaters on November 26, continues the legacy of its predecessor by exploring complex themes of prejudice and discrimination within a vibrant, anthropomorphic world. The film picks up with Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) as celebrated heroes of the Zootopia Police Department. However, they find themselves grappling with personal and professional challenges, including a lack of significant cases and an unexpected stint in a therapy program for partners after a major bust goes awry. This setup not only deepens their relationship but also sets the stage for a new adventure that confronts systemic issues within Zootopia itself.
One of the film’s most notable advancements is its exploration of urban planning and its discriminatory implications, particularly through the introduction of Marsh Market—a secluded neighborhood for reptiles and other marginalized species. The film raises critical questions about why reptiles are segregated from the rest of Zootopia, echoing real-world issues of urban segregation and gentrification. Milton Lynxley, a powerful figure in Zootopia, embodies the archetype of urban developers whose expansions threaten the existence of these communities, drawing parallels to historical events like the displacement of Seneca Village in New York City. While *Zootopia 2* maintains its entertaining and light-hearted tone, it boldly delves into the darker realities of discrimination woven into the fabric of its society, making it a noteworthy sequel that aims to deepen the conversation started in the original film.
Despite some familiar plot elements and a reliance on its charming animal puns, *Zootopia 2* distinguishes itself by tackling these complex social issues in a way that is accessible to audiences of all ages. The film maintains its focus on the importance of embracing diversity, while also pushing the envelope by addressing the systemic nature of prejudice. As Judy and Nick navigate their new challenges, audiences can expect a blend of adventure, humor, and poignant commentary that reflects the ongoing conversations about equality and inclusion in our own world. With its ambitious narrative and socially relevant themes, *Zootopia 2* promises to be both an entertaining and thought-provoking addition to Disney’s animated repertoire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqSjC3w5970
Before its 2016 release, I would never have dreamed that Disney’s anthropomorphic buddy-cop comedy
Zootopia
could deliver such a salient message about the evils of prejudice.
Using the differences between animal species, including the predator-prey divide,
Zootopia
addressed heady topics tied to bigotry and implicit bias, like stereotypes and microaggressions. As the first rabbit in the Zootopia Police Department, Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) gets up close and personal with the frustrations of tokenism. Meanwhile, her eventual ally Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) has been discriminated against all his life due simply to being a fox.
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As an allegory,
Zootopia
doesn’t offer a perfect one-to-one take on racism. Yet its take on these issues still proved timely and bold, especially for a big-budget Disney animated film. (And yes, my surprise that
Zootopia
could pull this off does speak to me succumbing to film-based stereotypes myself.) So my main question heading into
Zootopia 2
was, could co-directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard pull off the same magic trick again? Could they deepen the conversation they started in
Zootopia
?
The answer is both yes and no. Like its predecessor,
Zootopia 2
is a bubbly, fun mystery, complete with more of Hopps and Wilde’s irresistible dynamic and so,
so
many animal puns. It also tackles new, insidious ways in which discrimination affects people’s experiences, this time focusing on how it’s knit into the very fabric of Zootopia itself. That it does so in broader strokes doesn’t detract from
Zootopia 2
‘s admirable ambition, even if the film often treads the same ground as the original.
What is
Zootopia 2
about?
Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) in “Zootopia 2.”
Credit: Disney
After they foiled a major conspiracy in
Zootopia
, Judy and Nick are heroes of the city, and partners in the ZPD. Yet their current reality isn’t as rewarding as the highly ambitious Judy would want. The two aren’t landing big cases, and when their opportunity at a big bust goes disastrously awry, she and Nick wind up in timeout, also known as the ZPD’s partners’ therapy program. After all, one big solve together can’t erase Judy’s often overbearing quest for validation, or Nick’s emotional insecurity masked as blasé coolness.
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Zootopia 2
strains Nick and Judy’s relationship even further when the two wind up on the run. The reason? Their accidental involvement with pit viper Gary De’Snake (voiced by
Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan
), who’s stolen an old journal from the powerful Lynxley family. The Lynxleys are descended from one of Zootopia’s founders, and they want Gary (and everyone tied to him) dead. For Nick, that’s reason enough to back out of the case, but Judy is hell-bent on helping Gary — and, by extension, all reptile-kind in Zootopia.
Zootopia 2
uses reptiles to address discriminatory urban planning.
Gary (voiced by Ke Huy Quan) in “Zootopia 2.”
Credit: Disney
When I say, “all reptile-kind in Zootopia,” you might be a bit confused. After all, there were only mammals in the first film, right? Right! With that in mind,
Zootopia 2
spends much of its time asking, “Why aren’t there more reptiles in a city for animals?” The answer isn’t pretty.
Turns out, there’s a whole neighborhood for Zootopia’s “secret” reptile population, along with aquatic and semiaquatic mammals. Named Marsh Market, it was cut off from the rest of Zootopia during the city’s founding. According to beaver conspiracy theorist Nibbles Maplestick (voiced by Fortune Feimster), that separation means Marsh Market’s inhabitants have more independence. But it also means they’re further removed from the rest of the city, which takes a disdainful look toward reptiles. The separation calls to mind segregated neighborhoods created by
racist urban planning
. If you’ve ever wondered whether Zootopia had its own version of New York City’s Robert Moses, the answer is yes.
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Zootopia 2
‘s Moses stand-in is Milton Lynxley (voiced by David Strathairn), a major power player in Zootopia. He hopes to expand Zootopia’s Tundratown district, a move that sounds like gentrification at best — which still isn’t great! — and the rapid annihilation of entire Zootopian communities at worst.
Zootopia 2
‘s focus on discriminatory urban planning is a welcome evolution of
Zootopia
‘s initial looks at prejudice. The original film highlights how discrimination manifests in bureaucracy, as well as inter-animal relations.
Zootopia 2
goes a step farther to show that discrimination is baked into urban areas, turning its charming animal metropolis into something darker. (One plot point involving a lost reptile neighborhood truly had me wondering if
Zootopia 2’
s creators were
at all influenced by the history of settlements like New York City’s Seneca Village, a community of primarily Black land owners that was displaced to make way for the construction of Central Park.)
Of course,
Zootopia 2
doesn’t dive
too
deep into the nitty-gritty of the city’s segregation. It’s not like Judy Hopps suddenly learns about redlining! Instead, the film opts for a more standard adventure plot involving new allies, bold plans, and yet another Gazelle (voiced by Shakira) banger.
Still, as familiar as
Zootopia 2
feels, there’s no denying its more subversive core. Yes, the film is loudest in its more conventional messaging about embracing our differences. (Case in point: the partnership between polar opposites Judy and Nick.) But it’s when it tackles complicated, ugly truths about discrimination that the
Zootopia
franchise sets itself further apart from its Disney compatriots.
Zootopia 2
hits theaters Nov. 26.
