Shadows on the Wall | Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2 aka Zootropolis 2

dir Jared Bush, Byron Howard
scr Jared Bush
prd Yvett Merino
voices Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Idris Elba, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Danny Trejo, Alan Tudyk, Jean Reno
release US/UK 28.Nov.25
25/US Disney 1h48

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Accelerating both the madcap action and the nutty puns, this animated sequel is another wildly colourful, high-energy action comedy that has riotous gags laced throughout the imagery and dialog. The corny plot is unnecessarily overcomplicated and the pace feels rather frantic, but writer-codirector Jared Bush remembers to keep us laughing. And underlying ideas add deeper interest, most notably a pointed comment on the need to correct falsified history.

Now working as police officers, overachieving rabbit Judy (Goodwin) and jokester fox Nick (Bateman) still make things difficult for sceptical Chief Bogo (Elba). Needing to prove their partnership, they follow a hunch that a long-forbidden snake might be planning to steal a historical object. Sure enough, Gary De'Snake (Quan) stages a daring heist. But he's not the villain, and Judy and Nick are soon framed by mobster lynx patriarch Milton (Strathairn) and forced to go on the run from their fellow cops. To prove Gary's innocence, Judy and Nick turn to conspiracy theorist Nibbles (Feimster).

What follows is a trip into a seedy reptile underworld and a discovery about Zootopia's origins, all while preening new Mayor Winddancer (Warburton) prepares for its centenary celebrations. Along the way, Judy and Nick team up with Milton's rebellious son Pawbert (Samberg), discovering a major decades-long conspiracy, as snakes were wrongly tarnished as villains. There's never any doubt about where this story will go, and the unsurprising main point is that our differences make us stronger.

The brightly detailed animation features rapid-fire jokes and references (from Ratatouille to The Shining). This allows for some character development, which helps because there are far more critters to keep track of this time around. Voice work is full of personality, augmented by superbly offbeat casting choices and a blinding array of starry vocal cameos. And because the characters come to life in such quirky ways, action sequences have a remarkable sense of peril to them, including several near-death moments that might stress out younger viewers.

It's timely to have this story swirl around how the wealthy manipulate the system to steal money, land and heritage from the most vulnerable. Along with the message about a diverse society working together, the movie includes a nice comment about how the world will never be a better place if no one is willing to do the right thing. And then of course during the final credits, we get another fabulously eye-catching musical number from Shakira, complete with gyrating go-go tigers.

themes, violence 28.Nov.25

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