Voices of Matthew McConaughey, Reece Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, and Taron Egerton
Directed by Garth Jennings
Music and Lyrics by various
No one thought Sing would amount to much, but it ended up being one of the surprise hits of 2016. The sequel had an equally hard road. Illumination switched to doing a lot of work remotely during the 2020 pandemic, and the movie came out almost a year late and during a dry spell for animated films in late 2021. It wound up being an even bigger hit, and far more popular with the critics. Were they right, or should the curtain come down on this franchise? Let's start back at the Moon Theater with its latest production and find out...
The Story: Buster's thrilled that his theater is doing so well, but he wants more. After the talent scout for Crystal Entertainment Suki Lane (Chelsea Peretti) says they're not good enough to audition for her boss Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale) in Redshore City, Buster calls his cast and crew to prove they're ready for the big time. They have to sneak into Crystal's office and audition. Crystal isn't impressed, until Gunter (Nick Kroll) suggests a sci-fi musical with songs by the legendary and elusive Clay Calloway (Bono).
Eager to please Crystal and show what he and his troupe can do, Buster takes all of his suggestions. He gives Crystal's daughter Porsha (Halsey) the lead role after Rosita (Witherspoon) proves to be afraid of heights, but Porsha isn't much of an actress. He tries to pair Meena (Tori Kelly) with egotistical yak Darius (Eric Andre), but she's never been in love and can't figure out her kissing scene. Johnny (Egerton) is given dance lessons with the strict Klaus Kickenlober (Adam Buxton), but he learns more from street dancer Nooshy (Letitia Wright).
Buster tries to address Porsha's bad acting ability and get her to switch roles with Rosita, but she overreacts and thinks she's being fired. That brings in her father, who threatens Buster and frightens him so badly, he almost calls off the show...before they decide to hold it behind Crystal's back anyway...
The Animation: Gorgeous, some of the best Illumination has done to date. The glowing jewel tones and sharp edges on Buster's pulp fiction space show and in Redshore City are stunning backdrops for the expressive pastel or neutral animal characters. Some of the animal designs are pretty nifty, too. I love the long-sharp Porsha and Suki and weary Clay and his bushy mane.
The Song and Dance: I think I actually liked this one better than the first. We get more of a story this time. It's actually fascinating to see Buster's big sci-fi extravaganza come together, like it would on the real stage. Calloway, Nooshy, and Porsha are fun additions, and Crystal is a far better villain than the annoying bank manager in the first film. Everyone gets some character development, and we get to see more of characters like Ash and Gunter who were barely in the last movie. Johnny's dad and Rosita's husband and piglets even turn up again and are major helps in the finale.
Favorite Number: We open with "Let's Go Crazy" in a wild Alice In Wonderland-themed chorus routine at the Moon Theater. Meena is Alice, Rosita the Cheshire Cat, Gunter the Caterpillar, and Johnny the Mad Hatter playing the piano. Ash goes over well playing "Heads Will Roll" at a nightclub, but we then find she's not being paid what she believes she's worth. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" plays as Johnny is about to give up on learning dance. "Bad Guy" perfectly describes what Jimmy Crystal is.
"Where the Streets Have No Name" is the big song for the ensemble as they rehearse. "A Sky Full of Stars" pits Johnny against Klaus' more elegant dancing and fighting style. Meena finally learns how to love when she imagines the cute ice cream seller elephant she has a crush on (Pharrell Williams) singing "I Say a Little Prayer" with her onstage. Porsha's "Girl On Fire" shows off fast-paced and striking animation as she defies gravity and her father. Rosita finally finds it in her to "Break Free" and make that giant leap despite her fear of heights. Ash first sings "Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of" to Clay to get him to give up his isolation, then coaxes him out to perform "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
Trivia: A third movie was greenlit in April and is reportedly in development.
What I Don't Like: First of all, not all the characters from the first film return. There's no word on what happened to Buster's friend Eddie or Mike the mouse who sang Sinatra ballads. No one even mentions them. We do see some photos of Eddie in his grandmother's room at the start of the film, but there's not a peep about Mike. I suspect the Russian bear mob seen chasing him at the end of the previous film may have taken him out.
Second, Buster's the only one who doesn't really have any character development. It doesn't look like he learned anything about telling the truth in the last movie. He's still willing to lie and con people to get what he wants. Admittedly, he does come off much better compared to the truly nasty and uncaring Jimmy, but he can still be very annoying. And yeah, while the story is a tad stronger this time, it's just as cliched. You're still not getting anything new here.
The Big Finale: Great music and a much better cast makes this one even more fun. Violence, some suggestive song lyrics, and dark discussions about the death of Calloway's wife makes this one for older elementary-schoolers and pre-teens who love musical or animal stories.
Home Media: As a very recent film, this is easily found in all formats, often for under $10.
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