Hello everyone! 🙂

Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!

Last weekend on Saturday, I went to see ‘Zootropolis 2’, the sequel to the 2016 film ‘Zootropolis’! I greatly enjoyed seeing ‘Zootropolis 2’. I found it a nice follow-up to the 2016 film, since it features a very compelling story and enjoyable characters and humour.

I didn’t anticipate that there would a sequel to this Disney CGI animated film, as it’s taken about nine years for it to come out after the first film. Thankfully, the efforts of the sequel were worthwhile, and it has managed to win a favourable verdict from critics and audiences.

‘Zootropolis 2’ features the return of Judy Hopps, the bunny cop of the ZPD (Zootropolis Police Department), voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin, and Nick Wilde, her fox partner, voiced by Jason Bateman. I like how their friendship from the first film continues to develop in this film.

Judy and Nick are on a case to pursue a blue reptile called Gary De’Snake, voiced by Ke Huy Quan, across Zootropolis. They also try to clear their names after being framed. Throughout the film, Judy and Nick’s friendship is tested on how good partners they are.

I like how this film explores Judy and Nick’s relationship and there’s a possibility that they might be lovers. I don’t think the film has them actually say they love each other, but they do open up about their emotional insecurities when they mend their friendship in the film. 🙂

Judy also has a recording on her carrot pen where Nick admits that he loves her, which I don’t think he intended to directly say. I don’t know if this is something that’s going to be continued further into a third ‘Zootropolis’ film or not. It should be interesting to find out, won’t it?

With the ‘Zootropolis’ film series set in a world where it’s talking animals and there aren’t any humans around, I wonder if the film series takes place in the same universe as the 1973 Disney film ‘Robin Hood’. It’s possible, isn’t it? Would you be very surprised if that was the case?

The film’s cast of characters also includes Nibbles Maplestick, a beaver podcast host and a conspiracy theorist, voiced by Fortune Feimster. There’s also Pawbert Lunxley, an awkward Canada lynx, who is the youngest of the powerful Lynxley family, voiced by Andy Samberg.

There’s Milton Lynxley, the patriarch of the Lynxley family, voiced by David Strathairn. The film features the return of famous pop star Gazelle, voiced by Shakira, as well as Chief Bogo, who is the buffalo chief of police in the ZPD and is voiced by Idris Elba.

A new character called Mayor Brian Winddancer, who is a stallion, is voiced by Patrick Warburton. Apparently, he succeeded Leodore Lionheart, who was voiced by J.K. Simmons in the previous film. It’s a shame that J.K. Simmons didn’t return for the sequel.

There’s Dr. Fuzzby, a quokka psychotherapist, voiced by Quinta Brunson, and Jesús, a plumed basilisk, voiced by Danny Trejo (who’s been in the ‘Spy Kids’ movies). Benjamin Chawhauser, the ZPD cheetah receptionist, returns in this film, and is voiced by Nate Torrence.

Judy’s parents return in the film, including Bonnie Hopps, voiced by Bonnie Hunt, and Stu Hopps, voiced by Don Lake. Apparently, Captain Fern Hoggbottom, a razorback that is the head of the ZPD’s T.U.S.K. unit, is voiced by Michelle Gomez (Missy in ‘Doctor Who’).

It did take me a while to work out which character Michelle Gomez was voicing in the film, as I was listening for her Scottish accent. Mind you, Michelle does seem to have been given a small character role to play in this film. I was expecting her to have a bigger role than that.

There’s Truffler, Hoggbottom’s razerback partner, voiced by David Fane. There’s a pair of comedic zebra ZPD cops called the ‘Zebros’, which include Gene Zebraxton, who is voiced by Joe ‘Roman Reigns’ Anoa’I and Gene Zebrowski, voiced by Phil ‘CM Punk’ Brooks.

Bloats, a hippopotamus ZPD cop, is voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, and Higgins, another hippotamus ZPD cop, is voiced by Wilmer Valderrama. Apparently, Higgins was in the first ‘Zootropolis’ film. He was previously voiced by Raymond S. Persi, which is interesting.

There’s Bûcheron and Chèvre, a pair of goat ZPD cops, both voiced by Jean Reno. Alan Tudyk also returns to voice four characters in ‘Zootropolis 2’, including the weasel crook Duke Weaselton (from the first film), a French raccoon chef, Milt Kohl and a reporter. 🙂

Mr. Big, who is the Arctic shrew crime boss from the previous film returns in this film, and is once again voiced by Maurice LaMarche. Whilst Raymond S. Persi isn’t voicing Higgins the hippopotamus in this film, he does voice Flash Slothmore the sloth, who was in the first film.

There’s Dawn Bellwether, the former sheep assistant mayor of Zootropolis who is now a criminal mastermind, voiced by Jenny Slate. She does escape her prison, accidentally caused by Nick Wilde, before he and Judy Hopps work together to get her back inside.

There are ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ voice cameos in this film, including Cattrick Lynxley, the older son of Milton Lynxley, voiced by Macaulay Culkin. Yes! That Macaulay Culkin who played Kevin McCallister in the first two ‘Home Alone’ films. That’s uncanny! 😀

There’s Antony Sootley, a giant anteater smuggler, voiced by John Leguizamo, who, for me, voiced Sid the Sloth in the ‘Ice Age’ films. There’s a sheep called Ed Shearin, voiced by Ed Sheeran ( 😀 ), who for me sung ‘I See Fire’ in ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’. 🙂

Yvette Nicole Brown, who’s been in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and 2019’s ‘Lady and the Tramp’, voices two characters in the film, including an otter medic namd EMT Otter and Bearoness Bear, a brown bear who happens to be a guest at the Zootenial Gala in the film. 🙂

Mario López, who voiced Zeus the dog in some of ‘The Dog Who Saved…’ films, voices a wolf reporter called Denny Howlett. And Michael J. Fox, who played Marty McFly in the ‘Back to the Future’ film trilogy, voices a fox prisoner called Michael J. Fox? Michael J.? Get it?

Again, some of the voice cameos featured in this film are ‘blink and you’ll miss them’ when you’re seeing it for the first time. 😐 I’ll have to revisit this film more than once to hear the cameos properly. I didn’t know Josh Gad and Dwayne Johnson did voice cameos too. 😀

‘Zootropolis 2’ has been a very enjoyable film to check out at the cinema lately. It’s a very good follow-up to the first film. Hopefully, I’ll get to see the film again in future as soon as it’s available on Disney+. I also have the ‘Zootropolis+’ series on Disney+ to check out. 😀

I like how the second film showcases Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as partners fighting crime in Zootropolis as well as the possibility of them being lovers. Whether this will be continued in a future instalment in the ‘Zootropolis’ film series, we’ll have to wait and see.

It’s also nice how the animal kingdom in the ‘Zootropolis’ film series is developed further, especially with the introduction of brand-new characters featured in the film. Apparently, there’s a post-credits scene at the end of ‘Zootropolis 2’, which was well worth waiting for. 🙂

I saw ‘Zootropolis 2’ at the cinema with my best friend Stephen. Apparently, whilst watching the film, one of the scenes involving a hedge maze put him in mind of ‘The Shining’ (the 1980 film, I presume).  I’ve not seen ‘The Shining’ myself, but it was interesting to hear that from him. 😀

Highly recommend this film to see at the cinema for Christmas this year! 🙂

Thanks for reading!

Bye for now!

Tim 🙂