'Zootopia 2' Review: Disney's animated crime caper delivers fun for the little critters

Move implicit Starsky and Hutch. Hopps and Wilde are back. And they're packing vigor — um — fur.

"Zootopia 2" is the follow-up to Disney's deed animated movie from 2016 that takes spot successful a satellite tally by anthropomorphic animals. In the archetypal installment, we conscionable Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), an overly-eager bull trying to permission her people arsenic the archetypal rabbit to articulation the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD), and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a slick reddish fox who leaves his beingness arsenic a con creator down to assistance Hopps ace a case, resulting successful him besides getting his ain badge.

One twelvemonth later, Hopps and Wilde are inactive partners, but possibly a dysfunctional pair. After botching an amerciable smuggling cognition bust, their cape buffalo ZPD Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) orders them to enactment successful a "Partners successful Crisis" radical therapy. 

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Walt Disney Animation Studios’ "Zootopia 2" welcomes backmost to the large surface rookie cops Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman) and introduces Gary De’Snake (voice of Ke Huy Quan). From the Oscar-winning squad of Disney Animation main originative serviceman Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer), "Zootopia 2" releases successful theaters Nov. 26. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Hopps is itching to hop onto a caller lawsuit — and she has a hunch that thing mightiness beryllium afoot astatine the Zootenial Gala celebrating Zootopia's 100th twelvemonth since its founding. Despite reptiles being banished from Zootopia, a bluish snake named Gary (Ke Huy Quan) crashes the enactment to bargain a mysterious diary that erstwhile belonged to Zootopia's laminitis Ebeneezer Lynxley. But an mishap volition effect successful Hopps and Wilde hunting down Gary portion being hunted by the ZPD arsenic good arsenic the Lynxley family, who desperately privation the diary back.

"Zootopia 2" doesn't interruption caller crushed but Walt Disney Animated Studios (not to beryllium confused with Pixar, which released "Elio" earlier this year) has a fruitful franchise connected its hands. Fan favorites from the archetypal installment return, similar the iconic DMV-working sloth Flash (Raymond S. Persi) and the adorable chunky ZPD dispatcher cheetah Benjamin Clawhauser (Nate Torrence) and we are introduced to caller faces similar the actor-turned-mayor stallion Brian Winddancer (Patrick Warburton), a conspiracy podcast-hosting beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimister).

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"Zootopia 2" features instrumentality favorites similar Flash the sloth (Raymond S. Persi) portion introducing caller characters similar Mayor Winddancer (Patrick Warburton) and Dr. Fuzzby (Quinta Brunson). From the Oscar-winning squad of Disney Animation main originative serviceman Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer), "Zootopia 2" releases successful theaters Nov. 26. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (Disney)

The dependable formed is stacked with A-list talent, galore of them making one-line cameos — Andy Sandberg, Shakira, Josh Gad, June Squibb, Danny Trejo, Michael J. Fox, Mario Lopez and Dwayne Johnson conscionable to sanction a fewer — my idiosyncratic favourite is Quinta Brunson (of "Abbott Elementary" fame) playing Dr. Fuzzby, the mild-mannered quokka therapist starring the conflict league Hopps and Wilde are stuck in.

While it's evidently geared towards kids, "Zootopia 2" is flooded with taste references to amuse adults, ranging from "Ratatouille" to "The Shining."

The originative duo of Jared Bush and Byron Howard, who've written and/or directed past Disney hits similar "Encanto," the archetypal "Zootopia" and the "Moana" films, intelligibly person the magic look to entertain kids and to marque the House of Mouse a batch of money. 

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[L-R] Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) successful Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Zootopia 2." From the Oscar®-winning squad of Disney Animation main originative serviceman Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer), "Zootopia 2" opens successful theaters Nov. 26. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The Verdict

"Zootopia 2" is simply a cute, harmless, gorgeously animated movie that offers amusive for kids and parents alike. Is it a apical tier sequel? No — but it doesn't person to be. So if you instrumentality your kids oregon grandkids retired of the location for a mates of hours, "Zootopia 2" mightiness beryllium your champion stake astatine the movie theatre this vacation season. Otherwise, you tin hold to yet watercourse it connected Disney+.

★★★ — STREAM IT LATER

"Zootopia 2" is rated PG for action/violence and rude humor. Running time: 1 hour, 48 minutes. In theaters November 26, 2025.

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