Nearly ten years after the release of the original Zootopia, Disney returned to its animated metropolis with Zootopia 2, a sequel that builds on familiar characters, expands its realm, and tests whether the magic of the first film could be repeated or even surpassed. 

The animated sequel has dominated global box office sales, surpassing $1.14 billion worldwide within its first weeks of release, and has since become the highest-grossing film in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ history, even surpassing Frozen 2. 

Critics have been mostly positive, with a 91-92% critic score on rotten tomatoes, while audiences have loved it with a 95-96% audience score on rotten tomatoes. 

Zootopia featured the song Try Everything by Shakira, which reached No. 63 on the Billboard in 2016. Zootopia 2 brought Shakira back for the song Zoo, which debuted at No. 6 on the Kid Albums chart.

The film focuses on Judy Hopps, a rabbit who has strived to become a police officer ever since the day she was born. She is headstrong and ambitious when it comes to fighting for what she believes is the right thing. Nick Wilde is a fox with a troubled past, known for his charming and witty nature, he struggles to express his feelings. 

Zootopia 2 didn’t just bring Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde with it-–it brought a wave of nostalgia, expectations and curiosity from fans who grew up watching the original. 

The sequel captivated audiences as it revisited the bustling animal city, delivering moments of warmth and humor while also relying heavily on the story patterns that made the first movie a success in the first place. 

According to Kathleen Davis, writing for The Persistent, the movie builds upon the social commentary from the first film.

“The film featured overt themes about colonialism, and how it can lead to segregation and disenfranchisement,” Davis wrote. 

Picking up after the first movie, Judy and Nick are now established partners in the Zootopia Police Force. They take it upon themselves to solve a case involving a snake, Gary De’Snake, and how he has become a source of controversy surrounding the wealthy and influential Lynxley family. 

Judy and Nick go undercover across different parts of Zootopia to uncover the origins of Zootopia. Along the way, they make new friends and their partnership is tested, forcing both characters to confront misunderstandings and their fears while trying to keep the city from spiraling out of control. 

Junior Nimisha Kasliwal gave the movie a solid eight out of ten rating, especially appreciating how it felt very relatable. 

“I liked how the four main animals came together as a team,” she said. “It made me happy [to see such teamwork] and reminded me of my own friends.” 

Science teacher Karla Seery appreciated the continuation and development of character relationships from the first film–especially the unexpected depth added to characters that weren’t necessarily the main characters, adding more relatability and depth to the film overall. 

“I enjoyed continuing to see the relationships with characters from the first film, especially the ‘godfather’ figure now having a granddaughter,” she said. 

The story’s structure, however, didn’t impress everyone. Unlike the original movie, making sure to captivate the audience with fresh twist after twist and playful takes on social commentary, this sequel leaned on familiar beats. Plot developments often felt predictable, and easily spotted character shifts made some moments feel repetitive.

Seery was not impressed with the originality of the plot. 

“I disliked that the film had entirely predictable twists,” she said. “The story was very much a repeat of the first film.” 

“You knew pretty early on who was going to stop being a character on the good side [and end up being bad],” she added. 

Despite the predictability of the plot at times, the humor landed for many. The film strikes a balance between kid-friendly laughs and subtle adult humor. 

Kasliwal appreciated the humor of the movie playing a role in character development. 

“I thought that [Nibbles] the beaver was a really comforting character because during the times I felt stressed for Judy and Nick, [Nibbles] always came in and made me laugh at the best times,” she said. “By the end of the movie, she proved herself to be such an invaluable character and friend.” 

Seery appreciated the twists of humor riddled throughout the film. 

I personally appreciated the occasional more adult humor. It felt pretty harmless towards children and allowed parents some extra laughs. 

Zootopia 2 proves why the franchise remains so popular. Despite its often predictable twists, the film delivers strong character moments that audiences find easy to relate to, humor that caters to all ages and a story that keeps audiences engaged and invested. 

Combined with its massive box office success and positive ratings, the sequel proves to become one of the strongest-performing sequels in movie history.