Frenzied but bland animated children’s comedy pits a corrupt mayor (voice of Bobby Moynihan) against the band of animals (their leaders voiced by Will Arnett and Katherine Heigl) who inhabit his city’s main park as he schemes to bulldoze the space, and turn it into a profit-making amusement concern. Respectable themes about protecting the environment and the value of friendship and teamwork make director and co-writer Cal Brunker’s sequel to the 2014 original acceptable for a wide swath of age groups. But, the outsized special effects, seen from the small creatures’ perspective, together with the many menacing situations to which the plot gives rise, may be too scary for younger audiences.
Watch out for: Cartoon violence, including explosions, recurring peril and mild gross-out and scatological jokes.
Rated: A-II, adults and adolescents; MPAA: PG
