The Furries Were Right About Zootopia

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To be honest, I hadn’t really considered what it would be like if Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde had a child until Zootopia 2 brought it up. I’m still not sure if it’s even biologically possible within the world of Zootopia, where animals live like humans in a modern city, maintaining their individual species traits and behaviors. However, the new movie immediately jumps into the scenario, showing Judy and Nick as new parents to a baby boy as they go undercover at the docks.

The customs agent they’re looking into, Antony Snootley (played by John Leguizamo), appears only slightly surprised to see a rabbit and a fox together. He doesn’t seem shocked, even though it’s an unusual pairing. Perhaps he’s convinced because their ‘child,’ Nick’s old friend Finnick the fennec fox, genuinely looks like he could be a mix of fox and rabbit. Or maybe he simply recognizes the main point of Zootopia 2: despite any talk about celebrating differences, the movie is really about the romantic connection between the rabbit and the fox.

Let me be clear: I’m not a furry, and I apologize if my comments made the diverse furry community seem like it’s just about inappropriate interests. However, the sequel has a funny way of hinting at a romance while also being very specific about animals, and it feels like it’s intentionally playing on that. Zootopia 2, directed and co-written by Jared Bush (who also directed the first Zootopia with Byron Howard), continues the pattern of the original film. Judy and Nick don’t get much downtime before they’re thrown into another complicated mystery involving Zootopia’s elite.

This time, the story balances the classic buddy cop dynamic with a surprising amount of romantic tension. After rushing to judgment on the smuggling case, Judy and Nick are required to attend therapy – essentially couples counseling for cops. While undercover at a glamorous party hosted by the rich Milton Lynxley and his family, they get a chance to see each other in a new light. They clash over their different approaches to police work – Judy is impulsive and eager to jump into action, while Nick prefers caution – but eventually realize their arguments come from a place of deep care. Their final embrace feels natural, not just because it’s a Disney movie, but also because it’s hard to imagine how their animal noses would even meet in a kiss!

I don’t believe the creators of Zootopia intentionally made something for a small, dedicated fanbase. The film is packed with quick pop-culture jokes, suggesting it was aimed at parents who were looking for something to enjoy while taking their kids. However, the sequel feels a bit strange, likely because the movies are pushing their underlying themes too far. Disney has always used talking animals – from Mickey Mouse’s early shorts to the serious lions in The Lion King – because they’re appealing, marketable, and allow for a certain level of abstraction. But I never considered the animal side of characters like the fox Maid Marian in Robin Hood; their animal nature wasn’t really important to who they were.

However, Zootopia 2 repeatedly focuses on the animalistic instincts of its characters. It uses the dynamic between the two mismatched police officers – one constantly reacting aggressively to the other’s smiles – for comedic effect, and justifies the villainous behavior of the lynx family as simply part of their natural instincts. Interestingly, while the film’s stunning animation highlights incredibly realistic details like individual fur strands, it also gives the characters surprisingly relatable emotional depth. Nick reveals his guarded behavior stems from past trauma, and Judy admits she often takes unnecessary risks to overcome prejudice and prove herself.

The amusing result of this conflict is that Judy and Nick begin to appear less like unlikely friends and more like a couple. The awkwardness comes from the fact that these films, while entertaining, also aim to teach us about different groups living together. The first movie bravely attempted, though not perfectly, to use its animal characters to explore issues of prejudice—a departure from Disney’s usual approach. However, the sequel, dealing with the forced removal of reptiles and the deliberate demolition of communities, pushes those comparisons too far and feels strained.

The movie features creatures often presented as outsiders – notably a snake named Gary, who arrives hidden in a shipping container – and draws parallels to how immigrants are often unfairly portrayed and targeted by the wealthy. While Gary is poisonous, he carries an antidote and the central challenge isn’t proving he’s harmless, but that he can control his natural instincts. The film, even more than the first, makes you question what the predators in Zootopia actually eat. Similar to Pixar’s Elemental, which used a fantastical city to explore cultural connections, Zootopia 2 bumps up against the limitations of its own premise. The film focuses heavily on the biological differences between characters, and when considered in relation to real-world issues, it starts to feel uncomfortably close to eugenics. It’s perhaps easier to simply imagine what the offspring of a fox and a rabbit might look like – maybe a bit strange, but potentially adorable.

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2025-11-26 22:55