After the gigantic success of the first Zootopiathe sequel arrives with the thankless task of expanding a universe that had already found a great balance between social commentary, buddy cop and family adventure. Zootopia 2 tries to honor that legacy by doubling down on the political component and embracing a bigger, more ambitious, twist-filled plot than the 2016 film, but to some extent, that ambition is both what keeps the sequel interesting and what lets it stumble. The new film wants to comment on the city's past, rewrite its mythology, discuss segregation, historical revisionism and belonging, while maintaining the humor, charisma and dynamism of the duo Judy and Nick. And although it achieves good moments, there is an obvious conflict between the charming simplicity of the original fable and the thematic weight that this sequel tries to carry.

The most immediate hit of Zootopia 2 is to reestablish Judy and Nick as conflicting protagonists. The idea that, after a short time of partnership, the two are already on the verge of being separated is a great starting point, as it affirms that they remain too different to function without effort, and that the friendship between the two has always depended on this productive friction. This return to the characters' imperfect dynamics is smart, because it prevents the sequel from turning the duo into static caricatures. Judy remains anxious, convinced and obsessed with the notion of “doing the right thing”; Nick remains hesitant, sarcastic and more emotionally cautious; but there is a clear dramatic development in their relationship (I just think it lacks the courage to turn it into romance). It remains beautiful and mature for the target audience that the film recognizes that a true friendship does not exist without friction, without tiredness and without momentary hurt.

But that's when Zootopia 2 tries to raise its thematic ambitions that the film fumbles the most, not exactly because it seeks more density, but because it is a work somewhat bloated with elements. The introduction of Gary De'Snake, the hidden reptilian community and a secret story about the true founder of the city, transforms the detective fable into a kind of conspiratorial historical mystery, with a less condensed and firm plot than what we saw in the first film. The narrative extension is bold, but sometimes it sounds inflated: there is a mass of information, new characters, secret traditions and centuries-old injustices that the film wants to discuss, and this does not always fit organically within the structure of the adventure or investigation. In fact, I see the detective plot as the biggest shortcoming of the work, much less engaging and involving than the previous plot. Still, the theme is strong, as Zootopia It has always been a universe built on lines of racial tension, and revisiting the city's own history is almost inevitable. The film updates this by giving a voice to an even more marginalized minority, in this case the reptiles, who were literally buried under urban expansion. It is an explicit metaphor, but not devoid of meaning.

On the other hand, narratively, Zootopia 2 You get a little lost when you try to do too much at once. Gary's case is interesting and his relationship with Judy is one of the highlights of the story, but the reptiles themselves get little space within the story (I missed a better exploration in this sense). Furthermore, by stacking the arc of some less interesting villains than the prey vs. predator theme, the political rivalry as a backdrop, Nick's arrest that separates him from the main line, the historical conspiracy and the reintegration of reptiles into society, the film begins to lose focus halfway through. The emotional depth of the main plot is diluted in a succession of twists, many of which are repetitive from the previous film, although, fortunately, the story of Judy and Nick remains the emotional center of the franchise.

Even between mistakes, the sequence knows how to touch on some already established powers. Nick remains one of the best-crafted male characters in recent animation, vulnerable without ceasing to be witty, hesitant without ceasing to be loyal, hurt without losing the ability to share affection. A specific rescue block is one of the moments that gives the film back the heart that is sometimes lost in the excess of mythology and exposition. I also like how their dynamic reveals the justification for the sequence, which goes beyond the accident of working together to actually understand whether they can work together, in another good use of clichés. buddy cop by the creative team.

Visually, Zootopia 2 It's stunning, just like the previous production. The work confirms that Disney still knows how to create urban micro-universes full of texture, with special emphasis on a block that shows a region with water elements. The new reptile region is equally striking, although it appears for less time than it deserves (again, this narrative side is underused). And the film is right to differentiate Gary's serpentine movement, who is never treated as a visual antagonist, but as someone displaced from the city's political ecosystem. The animation itself continues to be a narrative expression of the animals' personalities, always with great ideas to mix our reality with wild elements, in addition to many fun references, especially a scene that evokes The Shining.

The climax, centered on the confrontation against a specific villain (no spoilers, to avoid disturbing the twist), is perhaps the most predictable point in the film, but at the same time one of the most effective. Emotional resolution highlights that Zootopia It has always been about repair. The rewriting of the city's official history, involving reptiles, is an intelligent, if somewhat hasty, commentary on historical revisionism, institutional erasure, and the need to correct structural injustices. The final image of reptilian reintegration works, even if the arc is too compressed to have the impact it deserves. However, it is in the epilogue, with yet another “reunion” of the main duo, that the film finds its perfect tone again. It's sweet, it's intimate, it's the reaffirmation of that beautiful bond that drives the franchise. And deep down, that's what keeps Zootopia 2 alive: no matter how much it gets involved in its own mythology and no matter how much it sometimes gets lost in its themes, the film never fails to return to its emotional core of its charismatic protagonists, especially Nick.

Zootopia 2 It's imperfect, ambitious and sometimes overly charged, but it still finds moments of genuine charm. It's a film that tries to go further than it can, but which, thanks to the heart of the protagonist duo and a political sensitivity that is still present, although less sharp, maintains something of the spirit that made the first film so beloved. Not everything works, but when it does, it's because Judy and Nick remember that no city and no friendship stands without truth and trust. The sequel isn't as elegant as its predecessor, nor as engaging with the investigative narrative, but it's heartfelt enough to ensure that Zootopia remains a place worth returning to.

OBS: I didn't talk about the voice work of the strong cast because, as has become common, we don't have subtitled sessions for children's animations, so I had to see the film dubbed. The Brazilian dubbing continues to be of high quality, but it is a great disservice not to have subtitled rooms.

Zootopia 2 – EUA, 2025Direction: Byron Howard, Jared BushRoad map: Jared BushList: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, Danny Trejo, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, Bonnie Hunt, Jenny SlateDuration: 108 min.