“Zootopia 2” did not match my vision of utopia
“Zootopia 2” came out on Nov. 26 and failed to impress me and my 10-year-old sister. The movie’s main theme is that everyone is different, but differences ultimately don’t matter. The two main characters – Judy Hopps, a bunny voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin; and Nick Wilde, a fox voiced by Jason Bateman – work together as police officers and close friends. Though there were humorous scenes and characters, the underlying messages were difficult to ascertain.
As someone who was never a huge fan of the first “Zootopia” movie, and considering that the movie is directed towards children, I brought my sister with me to hear an opinion from the intended audience. Unfortunately, my sister claimed she was not sufficiently entertained during the movie, and even mentioned that her favorite part was the credits.
The movie starts off with a helpful recap of the main events of the first movie, briefly showing how Hopps’ and Wilde’s friendship formed as they busted a major case in the city of Zootopia together. However, in the second movie, their ability to work together is questioned by the chief police officer. We follow Hopps and Wilde on their journey to prove themselves worthy as a strong team as they work together on a new case.
This is an animated action movie that is visually engaging with humorous aspects. I particularly enjoyed watching the mayor of Zootopia, Brian Winddancer, voiced by Patrick Warburton. He reminded me of a loveable, yet oblivious Fabio from the cover of a romance novel. He stole the scenes he was in and was certainly a highlight of the movie. Noteworthy performances were also delivered by Ke Huy Quan as Gary De’Snake, and by the always amusing Fortune Feimster as the beaver, Nibbles Maplestick.
The main theme of dismissing people’s differences is not directly stated until the end when Wilde says, “maybe if we just talk to each other, if we just try to understand one another, we would see that our differences don’t really make any difference at all.” Considering the message was only explicitly shown at the end, the purpose of the movie may have been less impactful to the audience. Especially considering the fact that many parents rely on children’s movies like this to introduce important life-lessons to their children. Therefore, it is significant that this movie failed to do so.
These themes are expressed primarily through exploring the relationship between Hopps and Wilde. At some points I thought the movie may have been poking fun at this generation’s relationship culture with a humorous scene where Hopps and Wilde go to a group couples therapy. One thing that I wish was explained is whether or not Hopps and Wilde were in a romantic or platonic relationship, because it was never fully disclosed. However, a wholesome addition to the movie was the symbolism of Hopps’ and Wilde’s strong relationship through a recording carrot pen, which was significant in the first movie. The pen broke as their relationship faced challenges, but the strength of their friendship was proven when Wilde bought Hopps a new carrot pen in the end.
Although I was able to take away the messages intended by the movie, the storyline did not sufficiently convey those themes in a way that children could easily comprehend, as they were only apparent at the end and not woven throughout the movie. I can see the appeal this movie has for children, because it is essentially eyecandy and empty entertainment for children, but lacks the depth to go beyond that.
