Introduction
Hello, fellow adventurers! Blaziker is back for yet another animation adventure, and with 2025 about to come to an end, it is about time for me to cover perhaps my most anticipated animated movie of 2025, Zootopia 2!
Starting off where we left off a few weeks after the events of the first Zootopia movie, Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) found themselves in what seems to be one of the biggest mysteries ever discovered when a mysterious snake (Ke Huy Quan) arrives in Zootopia, leading them to a sinister trail that could cause serious consequences towards Zootopia itself.
I often considered the first Zootopia movie to be one of the greatest modern mainstream animated movies of all time, as this movie is not just an entertaining and fun animated movie, but also a movie exploring deep and serious subjects that adults like myself can relate to, something most mainstream animated movies dare not to cover at that time. With pretty much the same crew behind the first movie returning, will this sequel showcase why Zootopia is such a well-loved movie from the Disney brand?
Well, it is time to return to Zootopia for yet another big case to solve, so here we go!
Key Information
- Directors: Jared Bush and Byron Howard
- Animation Studio: Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Country of Origin: United States
- Rating: PG
- Release date: 27 November 2025 (in Singapore)
Trailer
The Review
Story and Characters
If I were to be honest, there were just too many things I wanted to talk about with this movie, so let’s get straight to the point regarding the writing. If the first Zootopia movie already has some of the best writing and political commentary of any mainstream animated movie of all time, then the sequel blew it out of the water, literally, because the writing went hard!
There were just too many moments in the writing that would be considered spoiler territory, so I will keep the details as brief as possible. The world-building in this movie is insane as yes, we get to new lands such as Marsh Market as well as the existence of reptiles. However, once you see through why they had not been in the first movie, then everything falls in place. The entire lore behind the sequel goes deep into a political commentary that is different from the first, as it explores a new aspect that is not as well discussed now compared to below. Given the current political landscape globally, this is well-needed because the writers clearly spent a lot of time conceptualizing that concept into something that is intense and meaningful.
This movie is also freaking hilarious. In fact, this may compete with Nobody as having the best comedy of any animated movie this year, with a whole load of gags, both old and new, callbacks, movie references and the lot. In fact, I was laughing way too much throughout the movie’s runtime. It also helped that the movie is very well-paced, as there is no part of the movie where I felt bored despite how familiar some elements of the movie were.
Zootopia 2 also brings in a new cast of characters to introduce alongside some familiar faces. In terms of the old characters, this movie further explored Nick and Judy’s relationship in such a poignant way and just like the first movie, this development resulted in them being some of the most fleshed-out protagonists of any mainstream animated movie this year. Seeing their development throughout the movie was worth it for the payoff in the end of the movie.
However, it is the new characters that stole the show. Gary De’Snake (yes, that’s Gary’s surname) is not only one of the cutest characters in the movie despite his scary demeanour, but he also played a vital role in making this movie so fun. Nibbles (Fortune Feimster), the beaver conspiracy theorist, is also one of the better conspiracy theorist characters in any movie, as she was not just entertaining but helped Nick and Judy a lot in the movie.
Even outside of those four main characters, everyone else was iconic. Gazelle (Shakira) had a slightly bigger role in this movie compared to the first movie, Clawhauser (Nate Torrence) was cute and funny despite his limited presence, Mayor Windancer (Patrick Warburton) was also fun and Pawbert (Andy Samberg, making this an unintentional Space Chimps reunion) has this funny personality that you can relate to despite being part of the super rich Lynxleys. Also, wrestling icons CM Punk and Roman Reigns as the ZeBros? Iconic.
Honestly, there are just too many excellent moments in this movie, I am gonna stop talking about the writing for now. What’s most important is that the writing is amazing, and acts as the actual 100th anniversary Disney movie instead of Wish (even though yes, I liked it, but I might to see it again to give it a proper judgement). This is the rare modern Disney animated movie that knows what it was doing with expanding the Zootopia storyline.
Animation
Honestly, when it comes to animation, I usually have no problems regarding the overall animation quality. I mean, it is Disney, so of course the animation should not be the issue; with that said, given this is Zootopia 2, there are indeed high expectations for the animation to be amazing. Thankfully, that is exactly what happened to the overall animation quality in Zootopia 2.
With such an expansive world-building in this movie, the background and character designs need something special and this movie has that. Looking at some of the animation designs, especially the new lands we see in Zootopia 2 (such as Marsh Market) and the lands we had explored in the first movie but at a deeper scale (specifically Tundratown), the detailing is richer and distinct, even compared to the first movie which has some of the best animation work for any mainstream animated movie in recent memory. The character designs are also worth noting as they feel more like an upgraded version of the designs in the first movie. Looking at the designs, especially Gary’s design, it’s astonishing Disney dared adopt the photorealistic CG style that has become an endangered species in 2025, and yet, this was why the animation is this amazing.
This movie also has more intense sequences than the first one, and the animators nailed every animation sequence. The lighting is spot on, resulting in picturesque animation sequences, and it also has fun action comedy as the cherry on top. Also, with regard to the overall animation quality, it felt refreshing that amidst the level of executive meddling from Disney’s executives, Zootopia 2 was thankfully not that affected by it, because the animation quality is honestly flawless. What else to say about the animation in conclusion?
Soundtrack, Other Elements and Level of Enjoyment
With the return of Disney fan favourite Michael Giacchino, the score is predictably excellent as per his standards. The Zootopia 2 combines different genres and provides a very cohesive compilation of tracks for the movie to excel. Additionally, can I just say how much I love “ZOO” by Shakira, the theme song of this movie? Seriously, I like “Try Everything” from the previous movie, but the theme song for the sequel is a massive upgrade.
Also, this movie also has one of the most extensive marketing campaigns for any animated movie this year. In fact, it is very difficult to avoid the endless ads and commercials for this movie, not to mention the various brand tie-ins in the marketing. Obviously, there is product placement in the movie (obviously being Zootopia variants of real-life brands), but it is not in-your-face type of annoying.
As for my level of enjoyment, what I can say for a Zootopia fan like myself? Even if I will still not admit I am a furry myself (despite watching a whole lot of talking animal animated movies this year), everything in this sequel was so amazing, I was having way too much fun and forgot to spot through the issues I have with this movie, which is virtually none. This movie delivered on my wildest expectations, and even exceeded them at times. Zootopia 2 felt like a true 100th anniversary movie for Disney instead of Wish, being a movie produced with so much love and passion for animation itself.
Please, Disney, you need to produce animated movies as excellent and top-quality as this. Stop trying to please everyone, just produce animated movies the way you wanted to, and you can finally break through the recent slump of yours.
Conclusion
Overall, Zootopia 2 is the Disney sequel that not only keeps on giving, but also shows that yes, the Disney of the glorious past is finally back to provide us a needed reprieve after being underwhelmed by their recent movies of late.
Not only was Zootopia 2 a worthy sequel to one of the greatest mainstream animated movies of all time, but this felt like the truly 100th anniversary movie for Disney instead of Wish. This movie has an expansive world-building that raises the stakes even higher, the writing and its political commentary excels in providing a more mature approach to a typical family-friendly animated movie, it is full of hilarious jokes, gags and call-backs that do not distract from its messaging, and of course, the characters are all fantastic despite the expansive cast.
Additionally, the animation is also top-notch with its versatile background and character designs, fantastic action sequences and some of the best animation work from Disney in a long time. The soundtrack is even better than the first movie, and overall, I had such a blast returning to Zootopia with this movie exceeding my expectations in every way.
This is a sequel that is worthy of being a true classic, and I would not be surprised if Zootopia 2 contends with Little Amelie as my most favourite animated movie of 2025, and I got to say, this could be a fight to the finish for the both of them.
Thank you so much for joining me on this crazy adventure. We still got one more final 2025 Animated Movies Rundown before we wrap up the year, but I have a feeling I got a few updates I wanted to share regarding this Blog. After all, it has been long since I updated with you on what is going to happen to this Blog. Until next time, see you on the next adventure!
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