Zootopia 2 raises the stakes and fires a joke a minute; in return, it produces one of Disney’s best-ever animated sequels. Photo: Disney Animation.
2025 has been an annoying year for Disney.
While they boast the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of the year with the live-action adaptation of Lilo and Stitch, it wasn’t much of a critical hit.
Meanwhile, what used to be sure-things in the form of Marvel Movies have seen all three of their superhero releases fall short of box office targets.
Even Pixar wasn’t safe with Elio being a fun but otherwise unseen release.
So with only a month left in the year, the House of Mouse needed a win to round out 2025. And win it did with Zootopia 2, which has become a critical success and a box office smash.
In just over a week, the film has grossed over $650 million internationally and received universal acclaim.
It isn’t hyperbole to say this might be Disney’s best-ever sequel. That said, there isn’t much competition.
Just like the first film, Zootopia 2 is a genius satire of societal behaviours and pop culture, all masked by gorgeous animation.
It really is a special franchise. It breaks down discussions of prejudice and corruption in a way that children can understand, using animal characters, while also allowing adults to absorb its mature themes.
While it can be a lot to have these themes in a family movie, it makes it so much easier to take on when the rest of the film is so damn funny.
Zootopia 2 ramps up the jokes from the first movie. It’s a joke-a-minute kind of stuff, and while not everything hits, the ones that do are hilarious.
They’re not crude either, they’re well written, brilliantly set up and genuinely funny for kids who are six years old or grandparents who are 60.
Another strength of the film is its voice acting.
Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy and Jason Bateman as Nick give it their all and are only beaten by Ke Huy Quan as the mysterious snake Gary.
While the three leads expertly run the show, the supporting cast is also awesome!
Idris Elba and Shakira return, while Macaulay Culkin, Andy Samberg, Patrick Warburton and even Australian royalty Robert Irwin all provide their instantly recognisable voices.
It isn’t easy to decide which of the two Zootopia films is superior. The first was so fresh, and its narrative was so tight, while the second raises the stakes and provides even more world-building to an already exceptionally detailed world.
Zootopia 2 was a blast. It’s well on its way to passing $1 billion at the box office, and given the film’s quality, it deserves its place at the top.
Zootopia 2 is currently showing in cinemas across the country.
