Released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime, Ruth Slater (Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind.

Tired of being locked in a reptile house where humans gawk at them like they're monsters, a ragtag group of Australia's deadliest creatures plot a daring escape from their zoo to the Outback, a place where they'll fit in without being judged for their scales and fangs. Leading the group is Maddie, a poisonous snake with a heart of gold, who bands together with a self-assured Thorny Devil lizard Zoe, a lovelorn hairy spider Frank, and a sensitive scorpion Nigel. But when their nemesis Pretty Boy, a cute but obnoxious koala unexpectedly joins their escape, Maddie and the gang have no choice but to take him with them. So begins a hair-raising and hilarious road trip across Australia, as they are pursued by a zookeeper Chaz and his adventure-seeking mini-me.

After a series of mishaps, Mickey, Minnie and the gang are separated all over the world and must try to get back to Hot Dog Hills by Christmas Eve. A mysterious and jolly stranger shows up to tell them about The Wishing Star, which could be the secret to bringing everybody home in time to celebrate together.