2025 is the year of not-so-subtle cinematic commentaries about genocide supported by historical narratives as a political project. First and most notably, Superman (2025), which featured the fictional U.S.-allied nation of Boravia’s attempted conquest of Jarhanpur, has been aptly interpreted as a metaphor for the ongoing Israeli campaign to ethnically cleanse and settle historical Palestine. Most recently, Zootopia 2 has explored related themes through erasure of reptiles from the historical narrative. After this, it seems that no part of pop culture is safe. Perhaps the upcoming The SpongeBob Movie: Search for Squarepants will depict the expulsion of deep-sea animals from Bikini Bottom to Rock Bottom.
Zootopia 2’s critique is particularly ambitious. Alongside its political commentary, it also attempts to emotionally develop the familiar protagonists, Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, on top of introducing new friends and enemies. The verdict on how well directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard juggled all of these themes is mixed. Culture writer Brandon Yu wrote in The New York Times that the narrative was a bit “bloated,” and I agree. The film sets out on a more ambitious path than its predecessor, making for a rollercoaster of a watch. The film most notably succeeds in its expanded allegorical critique of racism and othering, this time in the context of the city’s reptilian underclass. On the other hand, the development of Judy and Nick’s relationship was its weakest point.
To start with the film’s strongest areas, it continues in the vein of, and in many cases improves upon, the previous film’s most impressive aspect: having dominant themes that critique social issues like racial prejudice. The film expands on this by adding extensive commentary about how historical narratives are not politically neutral and are highly influenced by the interests of those in positions of power. The oligarchical Lynxley family, perhaps the city of Zootopia’s most influential family, made their legacy by systematically expelling nearly the entire population of reptiles. Upon finding hints of this secret, Judy decides to chase a trail of shaded snakeskin fragments until she and Nick uncover the truth.
There could be an entire article’s worth of reflection on the significance of the film’s political commentary. Perhaps it was silly of me to think that the Zootopia franchise, distinct for its commentary on racial prejudice, would stray from commentary that might be interpreted as a critique of the Israeli government’s campaign to forcibly expel Palestinians from the land. Whether intentionally or not, Disney has now entered the fray of pop culture institutions lending critical commentary to anti-Zionist sentiment. It dramatically demonstrates how intractable the shift of Zionism toward the political fringe has become.
One of my biggest critiques of the film stems from how Bush and Howard decided to develop Judy and Nick’s relationship. The first act provides us with an introduction to some of the dominant incongruities between the two. Following the opening scene’s hectic chase between the protagonists and some unnamed crooks, Judy and Nick are relegated to “couples” therapy — a slight wink and nod to those shipping the two romantically. The therapist aptly identifies the power imbalances within their relationship — Judy frequently speaks and makes decisions for both of them, while Nick relies on levity to address stressful situations.
How Nick and Judy address and resolve these differences seems oddly shallow and vacuous, especially compared with the weighty themes of the broader narrative. As other critics have keenly pointed out, Nick and Judy’s respective social positions were a key focus point in the previous film, but are almost completely sidestepped in the sequel. Judy responds to the stereotype of the unsophisticated country rabbit she has been shoehorned into by becoming an ambitious overachiever. On the other end, Nick was shaped by prejudices toward predators, who are often assumed to be inherently criminal and dangerous and in turn must be marginalized for the rest of society’s safety. Despite the social factors having a strong potential for a compelling emotional development between the two, we got something more bland and less convincing.
Throughout the film, Judy’s moral imperative to rectify the injustice of snakes’ exile from the city frequently takes precedence over Nick’s preference for self-preservation, refusing to defy the existing power structures supporting the silence of snakes through the spectre of state-sanctioned violence. This comes to a head during the second act in a symbolic scene where the two are on opposite sides of a building spitting in half. Nick finally confronts the fundamental differences between Judy and Nick’s moral philosophies, telling Judy that sometimes it’s impossible to make a difference in the injustices of the world.
The resolution to this leaves much to be desired; in an underwhelming final act, Nick says he hesitated to follow Judy’s plans for fear of losing her. Nick’s fear of loss undoubtedly stems from the uncertainty and loss associated with living in the city’s criminal underbelly. Still, all of Nick’s character development stemmed from more than merely an anxiety of loss, but a also desire for self-preservation — even if it meant compromising one’s own morals. I felt unsatisfied with this aspect of Nick’s psyche being brushed over by the power of friendship.
Much like its predecessor, Zootopia 2 provides a poignant critique of the human world’s most deeply entrenched problems. A lot of this film is just silly, like a kids’ movie should be. At the same time, it packs a punch where you least expect it. I think of the analogy of when you’re hugging your younger sibling and they unexpectedly strike a blow straight to your gut.
