The long-awaited sequel to Illumination’s animal talent show film is finally here to give the kids something to watch over the Christmas break. The stakes are higher in this sequel as the show goes from small town to Broadway (well, Broadway equivalent), taking this cast of crazy characters out of their comfort zone and into the larger world to see if they can make a show worth remembering. The movie is backed by a massive roster of voice talent, including Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton and Reese Witherspoon. Joining the cast this time around is Bobby Cannanvale, Eric Andre, Letitia Wright and Bono. The animation is just as beautiful as the first film, and a new setting allows for a broader colour palette.
Fresh off his victory of saving his local theatre Buster Moon (McConaughey) has aspirations to take his performers to Red Shore (a Las Vegas-style city) to put on a musical called Out Of This World. After a series of events get them there, Rosita (Witherspoon), Gunter (Nick Kroll), Ash (Johansson), Johnny (Egerton) and Meena (Tori Kelly) come along for the ride when club owner Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannanvale) greenlights the project. With only three weeks to plan the show, Buster must put the show together and convince retired rock star Clay Calloway (Bono) to join the show. If he doesn’t, Crystal will threaten to end their careers and throw Buster off the top of a skyscraper.
Sing 2 feels like it could have gone in any direction; the premise of the first film was quite simple, and to be able to warrant a sequel, the stakes had to be increased. There is a glimpse of that here, but not enough is done to warrant its existence. It is worth noting that the talent involved is fantastic; all of the voice actors bring their A-game here and make the characters fun and funny.
The vocal performances are outstanding and cover a lot of top 40 hits from past and present. Though one performance of Cardi B’s I Like It seems incredibly inappropriate for a family movie, however, the rest are memorable. Egerton soars in his numbers, and Bono brings the house down at the film’s end.
Visually the animation is miles above anything we have seen before. The character animations have been vastly improved since the first film, and elements like hair, water and light have all been elevated to Pixar level detail resulting in a vibrant and beautiful world you can’t stop looking at.
Sing 2 is a step up from the previous film, with the stakes being upped considerably. The songs, animation and voice performances will be sure to keep your kids entertained. While there isn’t a whole lot here for adults to enjoy, the spectacle is enough to warm your heart over this Christmas period.
Sing 2 is in cinemas on Boxing Day – December 26.
