I have been slightly offended that Disney just copied and pasted the ad campaign for Zootopia 2 from Lilo and Stitch. I'm like, you don't think I'm not going to notice? But I won't pretend I wasn't absolutely thrilled to see a pile of fox and bunny ears at the check-in for this press screening. I was like, it was fantastic. I snatched up the fox ears as soon as I could. And then I felt maybe I should have taken some bunny ears as well. Oh, well, some people took both. I could have taken both. There weren't any cups. I would have bought as much merch as I could. I'm a big Zootopia fan and I'm a big Nick Wild fan. Who isn't? But I do think that I have some Judy Hops in me as well. They're both great characters. And as I said, a lot of people took the bunny ears. In fact, more than I would have thought. Are you a Nick fan or a Judy fan? I mean, you got to gravitate towards one or the other. I'm very happy with my fox ears.
Now, I have to say though, as a huge Nick Wild fan, I mean, who doesn't love Jason Baitman? I was a little disappointed that this sequel doesn't seem to know what to do with him. I guess co-director Rich Moore, who also did the Wreck-It Ralph movies and has left Disney, and co-writer Phil Johnston, they both worked on the first film, but don't return for the second one. I guess they were the ones who were responsible for the character development and for looking out for him and for valuing him as a character. And I say that because in this sequel, let's just say there's a running gag where Judy won't let Nick drive and he he's always stuck in the passenger seat. And I can't think of a better metaphor for how he's treated in this movie. A sequel where he's constantly lectured and not appreciated for what he brings to the table. You know, Disney ain't beating those allegations with this film when it comes to, you know, being anti-boys and overprotective of female characters. You know, I mean, that is just it's unfortunately on display in Zootopia 2 in spades.
But you know what? I still really enjoyed this movie. And here's why. There's actually a lot to like about this movie. It's so funny. We're going to talk about that. But the two big reasons that I enjoyed it were one, I am a huge Nick Wild and Judy Hops shipper. I ship them like I ship Kylo Ren and Ray. And just like I got my RLo in this sequel, I kind of get my Wild Hops. I don't That's the ship name apparently for Judy and Nick. I don't love it. It's not as good as Rao, but I wanted to do the ship community justice for these two characters. I mean, I'm not a furry by any means, but for some reason, I really like Nick and Judy as a couple. I mean, and they're not they're still not officially a couple, but Disney is definitely aware of the ship. Let's just say in this movie, they Rachel and Ross, Niles and Daphne, Sam, Sam and Diane them, right? Like a lot of wink wink moments. You're like, squee like at one point. I don't want to give any of them away because it gave me such joy to hear it and I want you to have the same experience, but it was fantastic. And they have such strong couple vibes. An interspecies couple. I mean, hey, I'm really loving my fox cheetah combo I got going on here. And there's even a quick line about that in the movie. Like a fox and a bunny. And you're like, yes. And you know, love is love. And you really see that and feel that in this movie. And considering that in Zootopia so many different types of animals live together, you would think this would happen a lot. So, I really think I think it's fantastic. Are you in favor of Nick and Judy as a couple? So, in this movie, there is one scene where they tell each other what they mean to one another. And it was so beautiful, not just even from a romantic perspective, but even from a platonic friend perspective. However you want to see Nick and Judy, this was very rewarding. And I hope that everyone gets this kind of transparency in the relationships that matter to them. It was just so beautiful. You know, on social media these days, there's a lot of talk about like feelings and emotions, and people feel like there's oversharing. And there's an overshare joke in this movie, too. And people roll their eyes when people talk about emotional maturity and stuff like that. But this was such a great example of, you know, good emotional maturity and transparency. And to see such a strong, positive example where you're like, "Yeah, that is great, right?" and what it accomplishes for both people. It's just so cathartic. I really liked it. You know, therapy itself is often a punchline. Even in this movie, they make jokes about therapy, but yet Nick and Judy truly have a real breakthrough, and I was so happy for them. I think it really showed the importance of that.
All right, so what's the other big reason that I really enjoyed this movie? This movie is a truly intriguing mystery. Like, wow, so many great twists and turns. It kept me locked in for like most of the movie's runtime. I was like, wow, you really I'm stumped and I can't wait to see where you go with this. I think that it had a good mystery for any form of entertainment, much less a kids or you know, it looks like a kids animated movie. It was really strong. Really good mystery. I'd say that while the character development and world building are weaker in this sequel than the first film, which is a bit of a bummer, the mystery is so good and so strong that it made up for that. I didn't even really pay attention to where the movie lacked except for the Nick Wild stuff because I was just so interested in what the mystery and what was happening. And also, as they work to solve this mystery, there is like real danger that kept me on the edge of my seat. I gasped a couple of times. There was also also one really big emotional moment where I couldn't believe how much it mattered to me in the audience. Like we were you I don't want to you it takes place on the mountain side and that's all I'll say. But I I couldn't believe how much it mattered to all of us. So I mean that's really impressive that the movie could really draw us into that degree. I think it also helps that we've seen the first Utopia so many times and are so invested in the Nick and Judy relationship at this point. I mean, at least I am, and I think my fellow audience members were because we all gasped.
But seriously, back to the danger. Nick and Judy's investigation becomes a matter of life and death several times, surprising even some of the other characters within the film. Like to see animated characters decide whether or not they want to cross that line to actually kill to accomplish their goals. Like, that was pretty cool. And I think that's not only a w gives the movie again a welcome edge which makes it very adult friendly but I think that's an interesting kind of moment for kids to witness right like it's not so easy to cross that line which sometimes I think cartoonish villains make it seem like it is that was really that that really that really struck me that moment you know as much as again the movie might be lacking in some other places the realness of that moment where that character has to decide if they really want to go for the kill shot literally I thought that was really cool that they went there. Also, as I said, this movie is very funny. Very funny. And a lot of jokes that I think adults enjoy. I mean, my audience was laughing a lot, myself included. Chief Bogo's oneliners. Idris Ela has a very small role. But it's crucial. He's particularly big at the beginning of the movie and he does a lot to pull you in. You're like, so funny. So funny. I loved his lines. And then also there's a nod to The Shining in the third act that comes out of nowhere, but was so well done and they just so leaned into it and my audience was just rolling with laughter. I mean, it was that good. We were just like, I can't believe this is happening. It's amazing. I loved that. I loved it so much. It was just the movie was very funny. I think that and the mystery did so much to compensate for the other elements that weren't there. My audience of adults was laughing again and again and again. Really, very clever, funny jokes. So, Zootopia 2, I think, works as a kids movie because it's got a lot of cute talking, fuzzy animals and a really warm, Richard Scary-esque setting, but it's like really funny and like has a lot of danger. So, I think it's really great for adults, too. All right, so how about these new reptiles?
So, when the first Zootopia movie came out, I never once realized that there were no reptiles or birds in the movie. And I watched it a bunch of times, but a lot of people did notice that there weren't any reptiles or birds. And of and it turns out that was a deliberate choice by Disney animation because they wanted to focus on the Predator versus Prey story line for the first film. And they were like, "Hey, maybe for a sequel." And sure enough, here come the reptiles for Zootopia 2. And I think the movie handles their introduction surprisingly well. Now, I didn't notice there weren't any reptiles or birds in the first movie, but I do like reptiles, particularly lizards. You know, when I was little, my school went on like a camping trip for a weekend, and I have a very strong memory of seeing a noot near a river and holding it. It just really made an impression on me. And we took also um for like when I was in school, we took a liz a chameleon home for a weekend and we decided to let him loose and he blended in with let's just say he blended in with the furniture really well. I'd say twice we got nervous that we lost him, but we found him. My dad once flipped him out of the shades. We had window shades and my dad flipped him and that chameleon went or I think it was a chameleon cuz well his skin changed to blend and he went flying across the living room. It was so fun. And then to this day, whenever I go to Walt Disney World near the Magic Kingdom, there are a lot of cute little lizards that hang out on the way up to the Montreal and I always look for them and I think they're adorable. So, I like lizards quite a bit. Do you have any lizard stories you want to share down below and I thought that Zootopia 2 really captured their appeal and what makes them interesting and also different from mammals. There were some great jokes about what's so unique about lizards. I don't want to ruin any of them. They were very, very funny. They hide out though near Marsh Market. And, you know, for all the teases of the new lands they were going to introduce here in Zootopia 2, this was the only one they actually do explore in the movie. And I was I was a scooch disappointed about that because that's one of the things I loved so much about the first movie, exploring all these different places. But Marsh Market was pretty cool. For some reason, it reminded me of like Jimmy Jimmy um Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. But I liked it. There was a dolphin tending bar which seemed I don't know a dolphin's technically a mammal but it didn't seem it seemed out of place. And it also reminded me no fish either. No aquatic sea creatures in Zootopia. But maybe that'll be another movie down the line. They do have a tease for the next story line at the very end of the movie. So make sure you keep an eye out for that. My audience was intrigued. Ky Quan, of course, joins the cast of Zootopia 2, and he's been such a big part of marketing the movie. I was surprised at how small his role in the film is. I mean, they do a great job animating how a snake moves. That was pretty cool. And he's very cute. I mean, it's Disney, but they made a snake really adorable. They did show one thing I thought was cute is they showed a snake home at one point, and instead of measuring how tall snakes get, they had a measurement, you know, like kids measure themselves usually against a door frame. Here they had measuring how long a snake gets. And there was little things like that that I thought were great. I which that was part of the magic of the first Zootopia and I wish they'd done even more of that here. Gary's role again as I said is surprisingly small but crucial not just to the film but to the success the potential success of the film. You know they added a snake I think in large part because in China this year it's the year of the snake and Zootopia is a huge property over there. Who got the first Zootopia theme park land? Why, it was Shanghai. And already the pre-sales for Zootopia 2 in China are record-breaking. I mean, it's gonna make a lot of money this weekend. And a lot of that money is going to come from China. Disney won't see Disney Disney only gets 25% of that. But the full number will go towards the the the record breaking you know, the record on paper. And I think it's pretty clear Zootopia 2 will probably be a billion-dollar movie largely because of China and all because they put a snake in it. Very clever. Very, very good. Very, very clever from a business perspective on Disney's part. You can decide whether or not you think it's a mistake that Gary doesn't really mean that much in the movie. All right. So, it's really still the Jennifer Goodwin and Jason Baitman show. And I ain't complaining because they're a fantastic duo. And it was nice to see Judy, you know, not only continue to be a great detective and have a lot of like, you know, Polyianaism to her, and I love the Polyiana movie, by the way, but also she did a little fight in here. It was really quick, but I was like, "Oh, yeah, that's right. Bunnies can kick." I liked that. Also, as things get harder in the real world and it can seem helpless sometimes that this movie spotlighted that a single person can make a difference, that was really nice, right? Like, don't give up. you can and you can make a difference and you can inspire other people. It was very nice. Movie had a lot of messages and it's a modern Disney movie so of course it does and they do at the end talk about celebrating our differences and that our greatest strength as a community is um working together and utilizing all of those differences as one. And you know that's always a nice message. And of course I was like I see you Disney. I mean that ties into their new 3D show at Disney's Animal Kingdom Better Zoo. So, I was like, I mean, it was a nice message, but just like I knew they put a snake in here for the China sales, I knew that they were also advertising this new show at the theme parks. But for all this talk about celebrating our differences, it was a little bit hypocritical that they'd smashed out a lot of what made Nick Wild special, right? They were like, get in this box of togetherness. I mean, he can join the group, but he can still, I would hope, be himself, right? like seeing what they did to Nick here, as I said, not only made me kind of sad, but I was like, it's kind of highlighting a little bit of what the problem people have with you, Disney. So, that was not great. But, by the way, speaking of merch, they kept making them put these pink shades on, and I was like, are you going to sell those? Cuz I would be interested in a pair.
Now, Disney has really been playing up the allstar cast that they've assembled for this sequel. And you wonder, how can you fit so many people into a single film? And the answer is you can't. They're clearly there just for promotional purposes because their actual roles in the movie are so small. So blink and you miss them that they're essentially not really in the movie. As for who does stand out, as I said, Idris Ela gets a lot of laughs. And then Andy Samberg, you know, I would say he stood out for but the thing that keeps me from really highlighting him is that for a lot of the movie I thought maybe it was Paul Rudd. Their voices and their delivery are surprisingly similar actually. I was disappointed there wasn't more Clawhauser. I mean he has a funny moment in the movie for sure that got a lot of laughs but vastly underused considering how popular he was in the first film. And I thought David Strathan I couldn't place him either but I looked it up afterwards and I thought he did a very nice job. Patrick Warbertton. Oh, I think a lot of us were very excited about him joining this film, but I actually don't think they used him particularly well. Jenny Slate though, her villain returns for just a few quick scenes, but they were very effective. I mean, that was great considering what a big I mean, I think also because she has the first film to help her out, but she stood out more than a lot of the big stars that they enlisted. And it was of course great to see Shakira's Gazelle return with her hot backup male tiger dancers, but I didn't really like their new song. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it's not as good as the first song. And also, the performance they put together just wasn't as as thrilling for some reason. Like, at one point, they go to a festival and you'll see there's a funny joke about it. But I think they could have done more with that festival. I thought that was a missed opportunity. Just not as good as the first film. Like in the first film, you always want to watch the credit sequence, you know, because it has the the Shakira performance and it's like being at the at Gazelle's concert. It's so fun. And it just wasn't as good this time around. I sat through it because I was hoping it would get better, but it didn't. So Zootopia 2, I don't think is nearly as special as the first film, but it's a very fun sequel. I really had a good time watching it. And I think I would want to watch it again, to be honest with you. And you know what? I think the best thing I can say about it is that it made me want them to continue making these movies. Give me Zootopia 3 and four, even five. Let's give this a Toy Story treatment. You know, I think these characters are as strong as the Toy Story characters. And I would love for them, especially if they can keep up with the good mysteries and the jokes, you know, and the adult aspects just like, you know, Toy Story has. Toy Story works on multiple levels. I think Zootopia movies and can go on forever and I would be delighted, but you gotta bring somebody in to look out for Nick Wild. You know, Jason Baitman's clearly not doing it. He's like, "Yoink, thanks for the check." And apparently just, you know, cashing it, but they need to do they they can't continue to do this to Nick Wild or I don't know if they'll I don't know. Look, they kind of sideline. They've had their problems, their hiccups with Buzz and Woody, but that's managed to to to go forward because of the strength of the characters from when they do get them right. And so maybe Nick Wild will be the same, but you know, everybody gets a little miffed when they get when they're off. So, let's try and get Nick Wild back on track. All right, so that's my review of Zootopia 2 hitting theaters this weekend for Thanksgiving in North America. And again, I think it's a really good time at the theater. I think it's worth seeing in theaters. All right, so share your thoughts down below. Subscribe today. And of course, as always, you can check out some more videos right now.