Spoiler Free Zootopia 2 Review

Why just go to a movie, if you can Disney bound at a movie too?!
Zootopia 2 at a glance
Runtime: 1 hour, 47 minutes (1 minute shorter than the original)
Rating: PG (for rude humor and action/violence)
Synopsis (from Disney): In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia 2,” detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.
What parents should know about Zootopia 2
My younger daughter has never loved the first Zootopia movie. The “going savage” arc and the asylum scene were too much for her. Zootopia 2 stays far away from anything that dark or jump-scare-y. There are still villains, and Judy and Nick do their fair share of sneaking around, but the tone is lighter overall. The main villain does become creepily unhinged by the end, but nothing approaches the intensity of some scenes from the original.
Dialogue is straightforward and kid-friendly throughout, with one small exception. A partners therapy scene (featured in the trailer) nudges the vocabulary level up for a few minutes. Otherwise, most kids should follow the story and lines easily.
Our movie theater was full of families of all ages, and about halfway through there was a noticeable stretch where the under-five crowd got a little antsy. Outside of that lull, pacing is solid. Even the littles were reeled back in pretty quickly once the action picked back up.
If your child can sit through a feature-length film, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring them. We saw toddlers, preschoolers, elementary age kids and teens – the whole range – and nothing on screen felt too intense or inappropriate. Even the “rude humor” is toned down from the first movie. No skunk butt rugs this time around.
What Disney fans should know about Zootopia 2
Animation quality and world-building are where Zootopia 2 really shines. The city feels bigger and even richer in detail this time, with a few new neighborhoods to explore and more history woven into the story. The film introduces plenty of new characters but manages to keep the core cast front and center.
Michael Giacchino returns to score the film, which is always a good sign. If you’re not familiar with his name, you are familiar with his music (he also wrote the scores for Up, Ratatouille, Coco, The Incredibles, Inside Out, the original Zootopia, Doctor Strange, the MCU Spiderman movies, Rogue One …. I could go on). This time around, the score didn’t stand out to me as much as it did in the original, but it also never distracted from the story.
And I have to believe that Disney knew that trying to come up with a song to match the energy of “Try Everything” was going to be a tall order. I was excited to see Ed Sheeran credited as one of the writers for the new Shakira bop, but ‘Zoo” doesn’t quite reach the unstoppable earworm, get-up-and-dance level of its predecessor.
What does land beautifully is the humor. The movie is packed with easter eggs, visual gags, and celebrity voice cameos. Almost none of that matters to the kids, but the adults in our theater had several laugh-out-loud moments.
Becky’s perspective on Zootopia 2
Overall, I’m glad we saw this one in the theater. Just like the original, the sheer amount of detail packed into Zootopia’s cityscape really benefits from a big screen.
Does Zootopia 2 recapture the magic of the original? Not entirely. But that’s true of most sequels. As an audience, we know the rules of the world they’ve created now. Judy is still Judy. Nick is still Nick. They’re still solving cases in Zootopia.
Even so, two things pushed this sequel firmly into “strong recommendation” territory for me.
First: despite knowing roughly what to expect, one moment genuinely shocked me and most other people in the audience. It’s the first time I’ve experience an in-theater group jaw-drop, audible gasp since the Frozen Hans reveal. I didn’t see it coming, and I loved that the writer and animators can still surprise and delight.
Second: the message of the film. It’s summed up beautifully in a line from one character: “Maybe what makes me me, and what makes you you, is what makes us stronger.”
Throughout the movie, characters wrestle with proving themselves, caring too much or too little, fitting in with their family or coworkers or pack or fluffle, or figuring out who they want to be. And ultimately, the movie lands on a truth that feels universal: it takes a mix of perspectives, strengths, weaknesses, and lived experiences to make something great – and to save the city.
It’s a worthwhile message for kids. And honestly, for adults too.
Zootopia 2 Movie Poster
A 9-year-old perspective on Zootopia 2
Enough with the grown-up side of things. Here’s the review that really matters – a spoiler-free movie report from my daughter.
How excited were you to see Zootopia 2 before we watched it? Why?
I was very excited to see it because when Mom showed me a trailer it got my attention because it had a very different plot than the first movie.
Now that you’ve seen it, how would you rate Zootopia 2 out of 5 stars?
4.5 stars because it was sort of funny and it had a lot of action, excitement and adventure.
Was the movie funny, serious, scary, adventurous, or a mix?
This movie was adventurous and sort of funny because they went to lots of different places and it had a lot of action in all of the places.
Did the movie feel too long, too short, or just right?
I think it was just the right length because it had enough action to get through the whole movie. It has a lot of fun parts; if it was a bit shorter I might have been disappointed because it was so exciting but it ended to early.
What age do you think would enjoy this movie the most?
Ages 5-7 would enjoy it most because it is not too scary, (There is some dark semi-creepy hallways but 5 year old’s wouldn’t be scared of them.) It is also has excitement so they won’t get bored.
Were there any parts that might be too scary or too boring for younger kids?
There are not very many scary scenes except for one scene that would only be scary to 3 or 4 year old’s; dark hallways and old dark buildings, but nothing too scary.
Did Zootopia 2 have any good messages or lessons?
Zootopia 2 teaches you to respect differences and to learn to work together even when you and your teammate are completely different.
Would you see Zootopia 2 again?
Yes! It is fun and we might be able to convince my sister into watching it and I like it because it is different than the first movie.
If you could use three words to describe Zootopia 2, what would they be?
Funny, adventurous, and kid-friendly.

Mother (and Disney fanatic) and daughter both walked out of the theater smiling. If Zootopia is a staple in your house, or if you’re looking for a fun, family-friendly outing over Thanksgiving or Winter Break, Zootopia 2 is an easy pick.

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