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Canadian character actor Don Lake for the Metric System

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Spinal Tap II: The End Continues I Official Trailer

Poster

Short circuit 2 premiered on July 6 1988. The robot Johnny 5 went to the city where criminals wanted to take advantage of him. Tim Blanely returned as the voice of Johnny Five and Fisher Stevens as Ben (in the last movie, the last name was Jabituya changed to Jahveri), but Steve Guttenberg passed on coming back as Newton Crosby. SS Wilson and Brent Maddock returned as writers as well. This was Jack Weston's last film. ("Short Circuit 2" Film Event)

Tiny Review: Zootopia 2 2025. Bad Guys spinoff.

It’s visually brilliant, high production value. But also quite forgettable somehow… 🤔

Zootopia 2 is a 2025 American animated buddy cop comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The sequel to Zootopia (2016). Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Shakira, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Nate Torrence, Don Lake, Bonnie Hunt, and Jenny Slate reprise their roles from the first film, with Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Patrick Warburton, Quinta Brunson, and Danny Trejo.

Zootopia 2 (2025)

Zootopia 2 expands on the world its predecessor established in clever ways. This is a movie with a message but the writing integrates it so seamlessly and so cleverly you only recognize what it’s saying far into the plot. It offers all that, plus innumerable visual gags and a solid mystery.

Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) might’ve cracked a big case and earned a place in Zootopia's Police Department, but a single adventure does not partners make. When Judy finds a piece of snake skin during a raid, she’s determined to investigate it. The thing is, no one's seen a snake in Zootopia in nearly a hundred years and with the duo being on thin ice with Chief Bogo (voiced by Idris Elba), it’s a trail Nick doesn’t think is worth following.

My favorite thing about this franchise is the setting. There must be hundreds of anthropomorphic/funny talking animal movies but the vast majority are not fully developed. We’re TOLD the characters are mice, cows, etc., when actually, they’re palette-swapped people. That’s not the case with the citizens of Zootopia. All of these wildly different creatures have forced the artists to reinvent every aspect of city life. When directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard take us on a high-speed chase, it means blitzing through ever-changing environments. Unique animal characteristics are constantly used for comedic purposes, or to advance the story. Connecting the dots between what you see on-screen and our equivalents is loads of fun. That, and it keeps you on your toes. All of sudden, Judy and Hopps are confronted with a part of the city designed for aquatic animals. Now what?! That's when you realize how much thought has been put into the film. That snake skin, for example, seems tied to the weather walls that regulate Zootopia’s climate zones. If you were even aware of these walls, you probably thought they were just there as a way to explain how we could have a city that contains both polar bears and camels but no; it’s an important plot point.

The wild environments and characters teem with imagination. Inside Zootopia, there’s so much going on visually you will never be able to catch it all in one sitting. We venture into several new environments and meet many species that weren’t showcased in 2016 (was it really that long ago?). The way they’re used to parallel humans from different regions and/or walks of life is both clever and hilarious. If you look past all of the memorable jokes, however, there’s a legitimate mystery wrapped up in social commentary. It’s inseparable from the animal kingdom and the furry denizens of the city, but I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this was all a reimagining of a classic noir film, sort of like we used to get in 2D from Walt Disney (think 1973 Robin Hood or 1988’s Oliver and Company, for example).

The mystery and new locations allow the story by Jared Bush to introduce us to loads of memorable characters. In terms of highlights, I'd pick Patrick Warburton as Brian Winddancer, the new mayor of Zootopia, Fortune Feimster as a beaver named Nibbles Maplestick and Ke Huy Quan as the creature who kicks off the plot, Gary De'Snake. Oh, and of course, our protagonists. The movie starts with a solid hook when it reveals that while Judy and Nick made a great team for that first case… they’re wildly different mammals with wholly different views on society. It hurts your heart to see these two non-romantic partners seemingly drift apart despite caring for each other. It all makes sense when you remember where they came from and how they grew up but you’re still not quite prepared for it.

In terms of criticisms, the film relies on cameos from characters introduced in the previous movie more often than necessary. Some characters are resources that help Nick and Judy. Others, like Shakira’s Gazelle didn’t need to be there. 108 minutes might not be excessive for a mystery adventure thriller, particularly not one that's as packed to the gills as Zootopia 2, but it can start to feel long for little ones. In terms of peril and danger, the stakes are real but it's nothing too intense for your hatchlings. The only thing that might make you reconsider bringing young children to see the picture is the fact that, because this is a mystery, it might be a bit too complicated for young viewers to understand everything that’s going on. It’s not a big deal as long as you're ready to answer some questions.

Though Zootopia 2 is aimed at children, the film does not talk down to its audience at all. Grown-ups are going to enjoy the film just as much as, or maybe even more than, any kids in the audience. There’s a reference to 'The Shining' you’ll find funny, and normally that’s the kind of thing I’d criticize but it’s so smoothly integrated that if you miss it, you won’t feel like you were excluded in any way. It’s just another example of the care and enthusiasm that’s present in all of Zootopia 2. When you do check it out, remember to stick around for a post-credit scene. (Theatrical version on the big screen, February 14, 2026)