The Mosley Review: Zootopia 2
There's a certain charm that the first Zootopia film had that was equal parts infectious and fun. The fever dream of having a world of animals living life like humans in a utopia that is filled with great film references and clever humor was surprising. The detective angle of the story was fresh and very reminiscent of the fun buddy cop films of the late 80's and 90's. It was a vibrant world full of possibilities and I'm glad we get to come back to explore it. This time around there is more action, the hustle of the habitats are bustling and the comedy is rampant and smart. The themes of facing ones traumas, trusting each other and being selfless were fun to explore and truly served the story with a few moments of adult humor that I enjoyed. Even though there were moments where the film where it lost focus and dragged on, it wisely righted itself and centered on the relationship between the two wonderful leads.
Ginnifer Goodwin as the spunky rabbit police officer, Judy Hopps. Her always optimistic and eager attitude was even more fun this time around as she navigates being part of a hero duo. Jason Bateman returns as the sly fox, Nick Wilde. His constant chill attitude was great and he is even more cavalier about his job as a cop and partner. The two of them together have the best chemistry and are genuinely hilarious as they poke at each other's strengths and weaknesses. This time around, we get deeper in their partnership and there is an emotional bond that is forged and then tested as the story progresses. I loved that Nick's “don't care” and selfish mentality clashes with Judy's selfless motivation and obsessive need to solve the case. It was a conflict I enjoyed seeing play out and it added the necessary layer of drama between them. Idris Elba returns as their temperamental boss, Chief Bogo. Instead of reprimanding them every chance he got, there was a moment of actual sincerity that was sweet. It may have been undercut by Nick's quips, but it was a good change of pace. Fortune Feimster joins the cast as the crazy and informative beaver conspiracy theorist, Nibbles Maplestick. She was the manic energy of the film as everything she says comes at you at an almost dizzying speed. The prison scene with her was probably one of my favorite moments. Ke Huy Quan was sweet as the pit viper, Gary De'Snake. He was the key to the new case Nick and Judy were on and also served as the post child of the deeper theme of speciesism happening in the world. He was the classic misunderstood character that you instantly wanted to help. David Strathairn was commanding and intense as the wealthy collector, Milton Lynxley. He had more venom in his words than any viper in that world. Andy Samberg was good as his youngest son, Pawbert Lynxley. He was the classic case of being the runt of the family that never was respected by his siblings or his father. There was enough to mine there with him when he was on screen and I enjoyed it.
The score by the great and busy composer Michael Giacchino was enjoyable and punctuated all the action set pieces and really nailed the emotional beats of the film. Speaking of action, there is alot of the action in the film and its beautifully animated. There is a lot going on in this film and at times it felt like what made the first film great was missing. You can introduce new areas of the world and characters as well, but sometimes overcrowding becomes an issue. This film felt like a whole bunch of keys jingling in my face and I could barely see the key ring that held them together. Not all of the comedy landed, but the funniest parts came from the world itself. I loved the reference of an iconic horror film and the adult humor sprinkled within the other scenes. Aside from the volume of stuff happening every second, I enjoyed this film. If there's a third film, I want them to slow back down and not make everything so spastic. Keep the focus on Judy and Nick and you won't go wrong. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
