ZOOTOPIA 2 (2025)

Genre: CG Animation
Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Cast: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Quinta Brunson 
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: Walt Disney
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 27 November 2025

Synopsis: In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2,” detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.  

Movie Review:

Close to a decade after Walt Disney Animation’s ‘Zootopia’ came out of nowhere to become an instant hit and an Academy Award winner, the creative minds behind the vibrant metropolis where mammals of every shape and size coexist return for a delightful sequel that we dare say is the best animation we’ve seen this year.

Picking up right after its predecessor, with a helpful recap in the opening sequence of how the unlikely duo comprising a plucky bunny cop rookie Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and a smooth-talking fox con artist Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) took down a vast conspiracy masterminded by the diminutive assistant mayor ewe Dawn Bellwether (Jenny Slate), both our heroes have been formally appointed as partners in the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD) under the gruff Cape buffalo in charge Chief Bogo (Idris Elba).

Unfortunately, their unlikely partnership is met with scepticism by Chief Bogo and outright cynicism by their colleagues made up of rhinos, razorbacks and other alpha species. After trying too hard to prove themselves by attempting to raid a smuggling ring all by themselves, Nick and Judy are ordered to attend a “partners in crisis” workshop led by, what else, a therapy animal (Quinta Brunson). While that is enough for Nick to call pause on their sleuthing, Judy is undeterred, and instead decide to chase down the possible reappearance of a snake within Zootopia after they find shedded snake skin at the back of the getaway van.

To say any more is to spoil the surprise for you, but suffice to say that their investigation takes them to new corners of the city; these include Marsh Market, a mash-up of Florida and New Orleans where the misfits and rejects of Zootopia now live, as well as a buried village known as Reptile Ravine in the outskirts of Tundratown, where reptiles used to live in peace and harmony. Oh yes, whereas the first movie explored the coexistence between different species of mammals, this sequel expands that world to include reptiles, and in particular snakes, which have been held in fear by Zootopians given the legend that Zootopia founder Ebeneezer Lynxley was nearly offed by a vicious viper a hundred years ago that claimed the life of a beloved Lynxley family maid.

Not surprisingly, there is a lot more than meets the eye, and after encountering the heat-seeking pit viper Gary De’ snake (Ke Huy Quan) at the Zootenial Gala event celebrating the centennial anniversary of the city’s founding, Judy takes a (literal) leap of faith by saving Gary from being captured by her colleagues and lands her and Nick as wanted criminals alongside Gary. And not surprisingly too, like its predecessor, this movie packs yet again a thoughtful message about prejudice, with Judy exposing how fear and ignorance had led to the demonisation of the reptiles, on the basis that they are different by species and nature.

Compared to the original though, the commentary this time round is a lot more nuanced, which given the political temperature in the US right now, is in fact a good thing (to avoid being politicised as ‘left-leaning woke-ness’ for instance). Taking over the directing reins, co-writer Jared Bush (who also become Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios in 2024) layers the messaging skilfully within a string of uproarious set-pieces, each crisp, colourful and packed with extraordinary detail. Besides a heist at the Zootenial Gala and a frenetic pursuit through the Marsh Market, there is also a showdown at an abandoned vacation house on the cliffs of a new Alpine region near an area called Copenhoofen and a race-against-time at the outskirts of Sahara Square.

Spicing up the exhilarating sequences are quirky new additions like beaver podcaster and conspiracy theorist Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster) and newly installed handsome horse mayor Brian Winddancer (Patrick Wurburton), as well as the return of favourites such as pop music star Gazelle (Shakira), three-toed sloth Flash Slothmore (Raymond S. Persi) and even Dawn Bellwether. It is a busy, busy ensemble, and we haven’t even gotten to the numerous, wonderous visual gags, puns and pop-culture nods throughout the movie that will require repeat viewings to fully appreciate.

As packed as it is, it is a good thing that Nick and Judy remain right at the heart of the adventure. Both are forced to acknowledge their differences more profoundly, in particular as Judy decides to follow her heart to uncover the truth and restore justice even at risk to her life and that of Nick, and in the process discover the depth of their partnership. Their dynamic is both funny and touching, and reinforces why their buddy-cop pairings is one of the most exciting we have seen in a long while.

So even though it has taken a decade, ‘Zootopia 2’ is certainly the best animation we’ve seen this year, and we dare say, one of the very best from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is hilarious, heartwarming and poignant in its own way, building on the original’s clever world-building, witty humour and timely social themes to offer yet another visually stunning, emotionally resonant, and socially relevant story. It is as perfect family entertainment as it gets, and let’s just say we’re already eagerly looking forward to the inevitable next chapter that we hope will take less than a decade to arrive.

Movie Rating:

(Clever, hilarious and heartwarming all at the same time, this return to the world of mammals - and now reptiles - is an unparalleled delight for the whole family)

Review by Gabriel Chong