In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2, rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake (voiced by Academy Award® winner Ke Huy Quan) arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before.

For in-depth thoughts on Zootopia 2, please see my colleague M.N. Miller’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Zootopia 2 comes to Blu-Ray with a stunning and vibrant 1080p transfer. In all honesty, it is hard to imagine a new Blu-Ray release looking better. The colors present in this transfer are practically leaping off the screen with the wide range of hues permeating every inch of the frame. There are various environments that allow the transfer to show off in different ways, including the individual zones of Zootopia, many of which are debuting in this installment. The textures, from the character designs to the environments, are extremely impressive and give the film a real sense of depth. The time spent in each space offers moments so photorealistic that it is jaw-dropping.

One of the areas where Disney continues to surpass each previous effort is the fluidity of the character designs. All of the individual strands of hair are unique and showcased in a subtly more natural way. The level of detail these animators put into each environment shines through here. Black levels are incredibly strong with no hint of compression artifacts or digital anomalies of the sort. This is about as close to perfect as a Blu-Ray disc can look. There is a 4K UHD Blu-Ray (theoretically) available, but that was not made available to me for review and is very hard to find to purchase at this time. I can only guess that it is so gorgeous that it will knock you silly.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray utilizes a DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio track that gives this energetic film real vitality. There is an emphasis on the front channels for a good portion of the sounds, but activity kicks in to the surrounds and rears during action-oriented bits. The score does a tremendous job of establishing the mood of the story, and this track pumps these notes straight through your body in a really satisfying, enveloping way. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost amongst the music or sound effects.

The low end effects from the subwoofer give certain moments that much-needed extra weight to completely sell the action for the audience. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. This track really opens up in a supremely impressive manner that engages all of the speakers. The creative team knew what they were doing to create this world, and it could not sound more satisfying. Zootopia 2 will have you soaring from the sonic journey it takes you on.

Special Features

The Zookeepers: An 18-minute piece with writer/director Jared Bush and director Byron Howard as they give you a behind-the-scenes look at the production, including looks at the cast and crew and all the work done to bring the movie to life.
A City of Stars: A nine-minute spotlight on the voice actors behind the microphone, from the returning talent to the new members of the ensemble.
Everybody Can Draw!: A four-minute lesson with Benson Shum, Animation Supervisor, as he guides viewers in drawing everyone’s favorite new beaver, Nibbles.
Zoo-prising Secrets: A six-minute exploration of all the surprising references and characters hidden throughout the movie, along with fun facts.
Wilde Times in the Booth: Another three-minute jaunt inside the recording booth for plenty of laughs and behind-the-scenes fun with the hilarious cast.
The Treat Trolley: A three-minute excursion with the Treat Trolley that brings smiles and snacks throughout the halls of Disney Animation to keep the studio artists fueled and energized.
“Zoo” Music Video by Shakira (3:15)
Deleted Scenes: A 28-minute collection of scenes that did not make the final cut of the film.

Final Thoughts

Zootopia 2 is a worthy sequel to a film that would have been perfectly fine as a standalone effort. The film treads very familiar ground, which does make this feel like a step down from the original entry. Still, if you enjoy the world, the characters are every bit as charming as they have always been, with the added bonus of some new, instant fan-favorites. Most should have a good time here. Disney has released a Blu-Ray that is beyond reproach, as it sports a flawless A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. Recommended

Zootopia 2 is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Disney Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.