Zootropolis 2 is a fun and witty sequel that's better than the original

"How puritanical has the Disney machine become that the animated fox and bunny can't even shack up in Zootropolis 2? Yet, the creative team here, in this otherwise witty and fun sequel, might in fact share in those frustrations, considering they've turned Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde's (Jason Bateman) inability to examine their own feelings into a running joke about their new roles as partners at the Zootopia Police Department, bringing order to an entire metropolis of mammalians."

"the pair still have to wrestle with more essential differences: he's a steadfast cynic who relies on humour to cover for a traumatic childhood, while she's an aggressively idealistic micromanager. They end up being sent to couples sorry, PARTNER therapy headed by a bespectacled quokka (Quinta Brunson). It's a cute way to acknowledge that the people who made Zootropolis 2 are entirely aware of what they're doing by having their leads address each other only through half-lidded eyes and flirtatious smirks."

Zootropolis 2 uses humor and self-awareness to turn Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde's unaddressed romantic tension into a recurring gag while advancing the franchise's social themes. The protagonists moved past prey-predator biases but confront personal differences: Nick's cynicism masks childhood trauma, and Judy's idealism leads to micromanaging. Their dynamic becomes explicit when they are enrolled in partner therapy conducted by a bespectacled quokka. The film acknowledges on-screen flirtation through half-lidded looks and smirks, balancing charm and restraint, and suggests external constraints limit overt intimacy between the leads. The sequel remains witty and fun while nodding to both creative intent and corporate prudence.

Read at www.independent.co.uk