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James Mottram

3.5/5 stars
It would be fair to say that Zootopia was a surprise hit. The 2016 Walt Disney animation grossed over US$1 billion at the box office and won an Academy Award, making stars of its animal protagonists – the rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and the con-artist fox Nick Wilde.
Now they’re back for Zootopia 2, a fun, if formulaic, follow-up that plunges us back into this urban jungle populated solely by animals.
Now partners at the ZPD, Nick (voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) are on thin ice with Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) after wrecking half the city in pursuit of a smuggler.


But that doesn’t stop them from becoming entangled in a conspiracy involving a family of lynxes, a pit viper with a cause, and the very origins of Zootopia, as it becomes clear not everything is harmonious in this animal paradise.
The film is set in a world where snakes and reptiles have been banished, suggesting that even Disney is keen to comment on the current US immigration hot potato.
The pit viper, a blue snake named Gary, is voiced with real charm by Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and there is nice work from Andy Samberg as Pawbert, a socially awkward member of the Lynxley family, who is helping Gary in his quest to prove that snakes do belong after all.
The plot is so-so, in truth, but the real fun in Zootopia 2, written by returning co-director Jared Bush, is the wealth of background detail.

A road sign for “Gnu Jersey” and a fashion brand named “Gnucci” are just two of the myriad puns that make this a rival to the work of British studio Aardman Animations when it comes to homespun humour.
Particularly funny is Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster), a beaver with her own conspiracy podcast on EweTube.
Some gags are overworked, however, like the talking walruses and the Zee-Bros, two cop zebras that keep high-fiving each other.
The film also features the unnecessary return of Colombian pop diva Shakira as a gazelle music star, a role that includes her singing the infernally upbeat new song “Zoo” – a tune co-written by Ed Sheeran that reappears throughout the film with nauseating regularity.
Fortunately, Bateman and Goodwin reignite their easy-going chemistry from the first film as the sly old fox and his earnest bunny friend.
The animation is top-notch too, from the shots of a teeming, animal-filled metropolis to a snow-capped finale that includes a lovely nod to Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

It is not “Pixar at its peak” levels, but Zootopia 2 will delight kids craving a bit of pre-Christmas sparkle.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


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American cinema

Zootopia 2 movie review: Disney’s formulaic animated sequel delights with visual wit

Nick Wilde (left, voiced by Jason Bateman) and Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) in a still from Zootopia 2 (category I), directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard. Photo: Disney

Mayor Winddancer (voiced by Patrick Warburton) in a still from Zootopia 2. Photo: Disney 

(From left) Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) and Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) in a still from Zootopia 2. Photo: Disney 

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Ariana Grande (left) and Cynthia Erivo in a still from Wicked: For Good (category: I), directed by Jon M. Chu and co-starring Michelle Yeoh.

Michelle Yeoh (left) and Ariana Grande in a still from Wicked: For Good.

Jeff Goldblum (left) and Cynthia Erivo in a still from Wicked: For Good.

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(From left) Arianna Rivas, Madeleine McGraw and Mason Thames in a still from Black Phone 2. 

Madeleine McGraw (left) as Gwen and Ethan Hawke as The Grabber in a still from Black Phone 2.

Cecilia Cheung: Hong Kong actress, sex scandal victim and Chinese social media star

Cecilia Cheung at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2004. The actress’ personal life garnered a lot of attention in the 2000s, with tabloids covering scandals and her high-profile romantic life. Photo: SCMP

Cheung in 1999. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Cheung speaks after receiving the award for best new performer, as veteran actors Liza Wang and Danny Lee look on, at the 19th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2000. Photo: Martin Chan

Cheung and Nicholas Tse in 2001. Photo: Reuters

Cheung in a still from Lost in Time (2003), for which she won best actress at the 23rd Hong Kong Film Awards. Photo: China Star Entertainment Group

Cheung and Tse at the 30th Hong Kong Film Awards in 2011, the year they filed for divorce. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

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Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

Full of puns, visual gags and a song written by Shakira and Ed Sheeran seemingly on constant play, Zootopia 2 is a fun if predictable watch


Full of puns, visual gags and a song written by Shakira and Ed Sheeran seemingly on constant play, Zootopia 2 is a fun if predictable watch.


Film reviews

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Ed Sheeran

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An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Full of puns, visual gags and a song written by Shakira and Ed Sheeran seemingly on constant play, Zootopia 2 is a fun if predictable watch

Full of puns, visual gags and a song written by Shakira and Ed Sheeran seemingly on constant play, Zootopia 2 is a fun if predictable watch