Nine years after Zootropolis first hopped into our hearts and stole the box office, the gang are back for another brilliantly bonkers, hare-raising adventure.
Disney's latest animation has big shoes to fill. The first film cracked $1 billion worldwide, scored near-perfect marks on Rotten Tomatoes, and walked off with the 2017 Oscar for Best Animated Feature.
The zippy second outing reunites our favourite buddy cop duo Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they get caught up in a brand-new conspiracy involving a mysterious snake who arrives in the city.
For directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush, Zootropolis 2 is far from a routine franchise pay-day. It's a clear labour or love.
Disney feared the sequel might overindulge in puns, but the duo has turned it into a witty playground of wordplay, spoof brands, and film-inspired Easter eggs - from EweTube binges to late-night HuluZoo sessions - that rarely misses a beat.
Narratively, the sequel doesn't stray far from the groundwork laid by the original. The bustling diversity of Zootropolis remains central, and the theme of disparate animals learning to connect and collaborate stays delightfully at the heart of the story.
As scriptwriter, Jared Bush - who co-wrote 2016's offering with Phil Johnston - goes solo for the sequel, delivering a slightly darker tale with more social commentary, yet providing an endlessly endearing follow-up that keeps the heart and charm intact.
Shakira is back as the hip-shaking Gazelle with an irresistibly catchy track, Zoo, which she co-wrote with Ed Sheeran and Blake Slatkin. Adding to the family-fun warmth, her sons Milan and Sasha make their voice-acting debut as Judy Hopps' little brothers. Sweet, right?
Your little ones will meet plenty of delightful and vibrant characters, including awkward beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster) from the Marsh Market; a comical quokka therapist, Dr Fuzzby (Quinta Brunson); a misunderstood reptile called Gary De'Snake (sssseriously amazing work by Ke Huy Quan); and a complex feline villain, Lynx Pawbert (Andy Samberg). Together, they add plenty of laughs.
A third outing for the franchise will have to bring something new to the animal kingdom, but for now, its winning formula is still king of the jungle.
