A little rant about this movie (and how they failed Gary)
A major problem I have with Zootopia 2 is one that could easily have been avoided had the filmmakers dedicated themselves to their characters and plot the way they should have. The second film throws both protagonists into a conflict with which, unlike in the first film, they have no personal connection or relationship whatsoever.
This time, the focus is on the reptiles themselves, rather than the predator-prey relationship of the first film, which, of course affected both Nick and Judy on a personal level, as they both are predator and prey, and because we follow their point of view, the second film fails to delve deeper into the conflict with the reptiles, limiting itself to showing only what Nick and Judy learn as they go along, making them empathetic but ultimately external observers, lacking a deep connection to the experiences of this new, marginalized group.
It's as if the characters are watching the news or a video about a problem happening somewhere else, empathizing and learning, but lacking that connection to the conflict. This lack of connection could have been avoided if the film had focused on its main reptile character, who is there to represent and confront the problems the reptiles face in order to bring a positive change. Unfortunately, the film didn't focus on him as much as he deserved. (Which really hurts me bc he quickly became my favorite character in the franchise)
Although we learn about Gary's ancestor and the origins of the conflict between mammals and reptiles, the personal information we have about him is scarce, if not nonexistent. The film never pauses to allow us to get to know him, his life, his hobbies, the reason he decided to embark on this journey, what motivated him to be the first reptile to reclaim his family's lands—is it a goal he's had since childhood? Was it a duty his family entrusted to him as direct descendants of the city's founder? And, more importantly for the film, what was his daily life like as a displaced reptile? By denying us all this information about our main reference point for the reptiles' plight, what we end up knowing about them is little and superficial, as was the connection Gary had with our protagonists.
His most important actions are carried out off-screen, and he only comes into contact with the protagonists in the film's third act, having little time to interact with them in a meaningful and personal way. It's as if the film wanted to erase him from the plot until he became relevant to the conflict again, instead of wanting to involve him in the events and allow the viewer to get to know him.
Just imagine how beautiful and emotional the scene of Gary walking through his ancestral home would have been if the film had given the proper focus to his character, his life, and what that moment meant to him personally after the kind of life he endured. Although I must admit that despite the lack of depth, I adore this scene
the beautiful conclusion to a personal journey we barely saw.
This isn't a problem the film has only with Gary; I think other characters like Pawbert and Nibbles also suffer from their limited screen time, hindering their development and their connection to the protagonists. This generally makes the more personal and dramatic moments feel underdeveloped. How am I supposed to feel sad about Pawbert's betrayal if he only interacted with Judy once, disappears from the plot, and only returns three minutes before betraying the protagonists? The film is so afraid of shifting its focus from Nick and Judy that it ends up affecting the new additions to the plot, which are ultimately neglected in their favor. I'm not saying they shouldn't be the focus—they are the protagonists, after all—but it's obvious the film neglects its own plot when they could have easily developed it while developing Judy and Nick.
Here's a small change I feel would have benefited the plot: have Judy and Nick go with Gary and Pawbert after escaping the gala instead of going their own way with Mr. Big. Have Pawbert drive a small car instead of a motorcycle so they can get in. That way, the film can focus on the conflicts in Judy and Nick's relationship while also developing bonds with other characters earlier in the film, offering us fun interactions between everyone while the tension between the two protagonists intensifies as they're directly helping Gary from the start (this would also help develop Nick's aversion to reptiles, which was mentioned once in the film and then forgotten).
I feel this change would not only make the film more dynamic by deepening the relationships between the cast, but it would also make the dramatic moments hit harder. Spending more time with Pawbert so his betrayal hurts, more interactions between Judy and Gary so she becomes his "warm-blooded best friend," and Nick's opinion on getting involved in the case as he gets to know Gary and the other reptiles—hell, they could even show the growing partnership between Gary and Pawbert as a direct contrast to the decaying partnership between Judy and Nick.
So much potential wasted, I hope we get more content of this characters in the future, I don't want to move on the reptiles yet, not after being sidelined in ther own movie, I want them to expand Gary's character and get to know him, I want to see how he form his bond with Pawbert, not just explained to me in a quick recap of events, I want to know how this new life impacts him and how different it is from how he lived before, what his relationship with his family is like.
This world is so much more than what they let it be; hopefully in the future they will continue to develop their characters as they deserve.
