Zootopia

ZOOTOPIA (aka ZOOTROPOLIS) (PG)

D: Byron Howard & Rich Moore

Disney (Clark Spencer)

US 2016

108 mins

Animated

W: Jared Bush & Phil Johnston

Mus: Michael Giacchino

voices of: Ginnifer Goodwin (Judy Hopps), Jason Bateman (Nick Wilde), Idris Elba (Chief Bogo), Jenny Slate (Dawn Bellwether), J.K. Simmons (Leodore Lionheart), Bonnie Hunt (Bonnie Hopps), Don Lake (Stu Hopps)

Originally released under the title Zootopia, the film was renamed Zootropolis for European audiences. The reason why remains a mystery.

Set in a city where anthropomorphic animals of various species live in relative harmony, a rookie bunny cop, the first of her kind, is given 48 hours to solve a missing persons case or face expulsion from the force, with the assistance of a cunning fox confidence trickster, they uncover a plot that something, or someone, is turning the tame animals feral in a reversion to their evolution.

Zootopia is huge fun, with the excellent standard of animation you'd expect from Disney, but it's also blessed with a good story which is a slight throwback to classic detective movies of the 1940's, as well as holding some clever subplots, such as chasing your dreams, not giving up and a rich anti-racism sentiment which runs throughout the film. Some of the visual humour and one-liners won't be appreciated by young children, but adults will understand what is being alluded to.

The film was a huge box office hit, and a deserved winner of the Best Animated Film Oscar.

8/10

ZOOTOPIA 2 (aka ZOOTROPOLIS 2) (PG)

D: Jared Bush & Byron Howard

Disney (Yvett Merino)

US 🇺🇸 2025

108 mins

Animated

W: Jared Bush

Mus: Michael Giacchino

voices of: Ginnifer Goodwin (Judy Hopps), Jason Bateman (Nick Wilde), Ke Huy Quan (Gary De’Snake), Andy Samberg (Pawbert Lynxley), Fortune Feimster (Nibbles Maplestick)

The original Zootopia (or Zootropolis, for some European audiences) was easily the best animated film of 2016, and possibly my favourite non-Pixar Disney film of the 21st century, due to its inventive and intelligent story that doubled up as an allegory for prejudicial treatment.

Unfortunately, this sequel isn’t quite at the same levels, though that didn’t prevent it from becoming the 2nd highest grossing film of 2025 and the 2nd highest grossing animated film of all time (after the same year’s Ne Zha 2, which was a gargantuan hit in its native China).

Set just a week after the events of the first film, Judy Hopps & her new partner, Nick Wilde are still under-appreciated in the city’s police department and always attempting to prove themselves, much to the chagrin of Chief Bogo.

They uncover a conspiracy regarding the systems that control the different ecosystems of the vast metropolis and the banishment of snakes, introducing them to the new character of Gary De’Snake, who accompanies Judy continuing her mission when Nick decides it’s a risk too much.

There are a few amusing animal-related puns, callbacks to the original film and some references to many other films, but I just felt this was a few levels below the original film.

That being said, it’s perfectly fine for the intended audience and the animation is as perfect as it could possibly be, but that’s the least you really expect from a Disney production.

6/10