“Zootopia 2” is smart and smooth, but it also makes people feel unfamiliar and uncomfortable – but is Disney really taking risks?

It has been nearly a decade since the first Zootopia became a global hit. The return of Zootopia 2 comes at a very delicate time: audiences are tired of sequels and increasingly wary of the “social issue expression” packaged by big companies, but at the same time, they are still willing to pay for animations that are truly witty, humorous, and have a sense of reality. The film was released at the end of November 2025. The story centers on Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they investigate the appearance of a mysterious reptile and thus enter new, strange and complex areas of the city.

Movie promotional image. Image: IMDb

On the surface, the success of Zootopia 2 is almost irrefutable. According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed approximately $1.87 billion worldwide, far exceeding the first Zootopia‘s global earnings of about $1.03 billion. Reuters also reported that this sequel has become the highest-grossing film in the history of Walt Disney Animation Studios, surpassing Frozen 2. From a commercial perspective, this is not just an ordinary success; it proves that Disney still knows how to package a familiar IP into a global cultural event.

Zootopia 2 box office. Image: Box Office Mojo

Zootopia box office. Image: Box Office Mojo

In the critics, the overall reputation of Zootopia 2 is also good, but not without controversy. Metacritic gave the film a score of 73, which means that “the overall evaluation is relatively positive”, and Rotten Tomatoes also gave it a pretty bright score in Disney animation in recent years. However, the differences in evaluation between different media are very noteworthy. Variety praised the film for expanding the worldview through the setting of “reptiles”, believing that it cleverly continued and transformed the social structure issues in the first part. On the contrary, The Guardian considered it a moderate but overly industrialised sequel and even described it as an “AI-generated” product in a sense. It is this difference that makes Zootopia 2 a work worth discussing: it is a film that polishes the exquisiteness, but at the same time makes people have to think today, is “exquisite” enough?

Zootopia 2 rating. Image: Metacritic

Film Review. Image: Tassi

Film Review. Image: Debruge

Film Review. Image: Bradshaw

Zootopia 2 further turn the focus to reptiles, and extend the original mammal-centred urban order into a new belonging politics. This is quite a clever practice. It reminds the audience that exclusion and inequality do not disappear automatically just because one group is accepted, and society often just redraws the boundaries on other groups. It understands that the narrative of diversity and inclusion is never the time to complete, and the system and society often celebrate themselves prematurely.

But this is also the most easily criticised part of the film. The more Zootopia 2 wants to show that it is realistic and caring, the more the audience will ask: Is Disney conducting real social criticism, or is it just creating a carefully controlled “critical illusion”? The film obviously understands contemporary issues such as tolerance, suspicion and structural inequality, and knows how to put these problems into the story. However, it still presents a very secure corporate narrative framework in the end. Nothing is sharp or risky enough to really challenge the brand image. Even the most important theme of the film – redefining who is the “outsider” in Animal City is handled too smoothly, more like brand image management than a truly risky political narrative. It looks smart and timely, but it is not really bold.

Movie promotional image. Image: Laughing Place

The reason why this is important is that by 2026, when the audience evaluates media works, they will not only look at whether it is good-looking, but also pay attention to what cultural significance it has achieved. Crazy Animal City 2 is obviously a successful family movie: Judy and Nick are still attractive, the worldview is richer, and the humour and rhythm can also satisfy the mainstream audience. However, popularity should not be the end of the discussion, but the starting point. When a film has such great influence, the political and cultural significance it conveys is more worthy of in-depth examination rather than acquiescing.

So, is Zootopia 2 good or not? The answer is yes, of course – but that’s the least important question. What’s more worth exploring is: why does such a commercially near-perfect sequel still leave some critics feeling “not quite satisfied” emotionally? Perhaps the reason lies in the fact that contemporary series films have become increasingly adept at “seeming meaningful”. They discuss social division, representation, institutional failure, and touch upon real-world anxieties deftly, yet are designed to be safe enough to ensure acceptance in almost all markets. Zootopia 2 is not an empty work, but it’s far from as bold as its fans might have imagined. It’s witty, complete, and relevant to reality, but it also reminds us that when “relevance to reality” is filtered through a global entertainment giant, it often ends up as a form that won’t truly offend too many people.

Movie promotional image. Image: IMDb

This is exactly why Zootopia 2 deserves to be a hot topic. It’s not because he failed, but because he succeeded too thoroughly. It provides the audience with an opportunity to discuss: can today’s commercial animation blockbuster really challenge the audience? Or are they better at what they are doing now, just packaging contemporary anxiety into safe, smooth and profitable stories? Disney did make an “effective” sequel. But the more difficult question is: Is “effective” still the standard we should meet today?

Zootopia 2 trailer