The long-awaited sequel to Disney's beloved 2016 animated hit, Zootropolis, has finally arrived, but it delivers a experience that feels more like a corporate product than a passionate creative endeavour.
A Return to the Animal Metropolis
We are once again transported to the magical wonderland of Zootropolis, a utopian city where animals of all shapes and sizes, from prey to predator, live together in harmony. The film is released on 26 November in the US, 27 November in Australia, and 28 November in the UK. Reprising their roles are our heroic odd-couple cops from the Zootropolis Police Department: the idealistic rabbit Judy Hopps, voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and the sly, now-reformed fox Nick Wilde, voiced by Jason Bateman.
The Plot and the Missing Spark
The story thrusts Hopps and Wilde into a new mystery involving a stolen journal belonging to the city's founding family, a group of aristocratic lynxes. This journal contains the secrets behind the 'weather walls' that create the city's diverse climates. Their investigation uncovers a web of secrets and a conspiracy that, predictably, goes right to the top of Zootropolis society.
While the film is technically proficient and offers a few laughs, the humour feels algorithmically generated and corporately approved. The overall effect is that of a film-by-numbers affair, lacking the heart and soul that made the original so special. It's the kind of movie you might put on a tablet to keep children quietly occupied during a long journey, but it offers little substance for the adults in the room.
A Competent but Uninspired Follow-Up
Supporting voice cast members like Alan Tudyk make minor appearances, but the film fails to recapture the original's spark. Zootropolis 2 is a supremely competent, passably funny digitally animated family comedy. It's not created by artificial intelligence, but the review suggests it might as well be, due to its formulaic and soulless nature. If this is the start of a continuing series, one can only hope that a potential third film will be hailed as a return to the franchise's stronger roots.
