Early in Zootopia 2, our dynamic buddy cop duo of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are in hot pursuit of Garry Desnake when they’re warned not to follow him if he takes the “red line,” as they will run out of breath.
It’s a fitting metaphor for the sequel at large: just as zippy and fun as the first but disadvantaged by having no time to breathe.
The sequel picks up soon after the events of the first film, with Judy and Nick now celebrity cops for their takedown of a conspiracy orchestrated by Mayor Bellwether. But the pair are still rookies and quickly bite off more then they can chew in the opening minutes of the film.
This leaves them relegated to partner counseling, as advertised in the trailer, while Judy has stumbled upon information of another potentially huge crime taking place. Already in hot water, Judy is adamant to follow the trail which lands us in a situation within the first act where Judy and Nick are no longer acting as cops, but trying to solve the case on the run.
It makes for fun and a sense of danger to take the pair out of the uniform, but it also feels like a regression. There have been plenty of buddy cop movies where they skirt the law and procedures of the office without fully losing the perks and formality of the badge. If the Zootopia franchise is to continue, it needs to embrace these characters as actual cops and not just rogue cops all the time.
The story just also moves really fast for a plot that is not ultimately that complex. We get to visit a new area of Zootopia, Marsh Market, where the reptiles hide. That was a lot of fun to explore, but the plot forces Nick and Judy in and out before you really get to appreciate it.
There’s also some forced regression of Judy and Nick’s relationship in an attempt to have some messaging about working together. There is a nice payoff moment for that, but the problems still feel shoehorned after the arc the pair went through in the first movie.
All of this to say the sequel does not begin to capture the magic of the original, but it is a fun ride with some characters we already know and love. The animals puns and jokes are on point—keep your eye out for a Ratatouille joke that slays—and it’s still a fun adventure to go on in front of the biggest screen possible.
