A Worthy Sequel That Was Truly Worth the Wait
Almost a decade after we first met Judy Hops (Ginnifer Goodwin; Once Upon A Time) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman; Arrested Development) in Zootopia, the dynamic duo returned to theaters last fall in the Zootopia 2 sequel. This week, after a three-month theater run and almost two billion dollars at the box office, the animated sequel is finally coming to local retailers on 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Even though Judy, with the help of Nick, solved a huge case, the two of them are still "low man on the totem pole" and need to take a backseat to other detectives on the force. However, when they don't follow orders, they bungle a case and almost let the bad guys get away. During their investigation, though, they discover something more disturbing...a snake (or snakes) in Zootopia. Snakes have been banned in Zootopia for 100 years, but suddenly they were back. Why? What starts as a mystery to solve and a snake to apprehend ends up as something completely different, with Judy and Nick once again in the thick of it all.
Returning from the original movie are Goodwin and Bateman, and this time they are joined by a veritable who's who of actors to make up an entire zoo of animals in this newly beloved animated movie. Voicing Gary De'Snake is Ke Huy Quan (Everything, Everywhere, All At Once), and playing Mayor Winddancer is Patrick Warburton (The Emperor's New Groove). Other cast members include Idris Elba (Thor: Ragnarok), Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), David Strathairn (Lincoln), and Danny Trejo (Machete Kills), among others.
Zootopia 2 runs the entire color spectrum, and the 1080p resolution and 2.39:1 aspect ratio help keep everything looking incredible. Details on uniforms, in the snow, or simply fur on the animals look amazing and sharp. While the picture quality is excellent, there was the occasional moment when something looked "unfinished". Otherwise, I could gush all day about the video quality of this release.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 Audio is equally as impressive as the video quality, with a layered audio track that sounds as if it bounces around the room and across the surround speakers. The dialogue sits comfortably up front, and the soundtrack is robust, filling all the speakers equally.
The Blu-ray combo pack comes with the Blu-ray disc, the DVD, and the digital download. Besides these, there is an abundance of fun and interesting extras to watch. The extras include The Zookeepers, A City of Stars, Everybody Can Draw!, Zoo-prising Secrets, Wilde Times in the Booth, The Treat Trolley, "Zoo" Music Video by Shakira, and Deleted Scenes (What's In the Box?, Where Are They Now?, Animal Hospital, Welcome to the Team, Desert Festival, Clawhauser Tracks Judy, A Plight at the Museum, and Clawhauser's Family)
Oftentimes in the movie industry, a sequel is rushed to theaters to capitalize on the success of the original film. It isn't often a studio will wait ten years to release a second installment, but often it is the best course of action, as those movies tend to be well thought out and planned rather than putting together shoddy material that either makes no sense, is poorly produced or both. In this case, Zootopia 2 was worth the wait.
The story and characters are fully fleshed out, the visuals are often stunning, and the movie is chock-full of big stars. There are plenty of laughs, Easter Eggs, and cute animals for the whole family to enjoy.
With a third film already planned, I can say I hope they don't rush it, as it has a lot to live up to, and taking their time would be prudent. Meanwhile, while we wait to see what comes next, I recommend buying this combo pack to enjoy at home anytime you want.
Grade: A
Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde return in Zootopia 2, now available on home media.
