By: Andrew Wing
Sing 2 is a 2021 American computer-animated jukebox musical comedy film produced by Illumination (Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets franchises) and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the sequel to Sing (2016), and the film was written and directed by Garth Jennings, co-directed by Christophe Lourdelet, and stars the ensemble cast consisting of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Peter Serafinowicz, Jennifer Saunders, Nick Offerman, and also the director, Garth Jennings, reprising their roles from the first film.
The sequel also features new characters voiced by Bobby Cannavale, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Chelsea Peretti, Letitia Wright, Eric André, Adam Buxton, and Bono. Like the previous film, Sing 2 features songs from many artists, most of which are performed diegetically. The story is set after the events of the previous film, where Buster Moon (McConaughey) and his group put on a show in Redshore City while working to impress an entertainment mogul (Cannavale) and enlist a reclusive rock star (Bono) to perform.
Sing 2 had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 14, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on December 22, 2021, in RealD 3D, by Universal Pictures.
THE GOOD
Prepare to have your mind blown, but unlike most, I never saw Sing back in 2016. I actually didn’t end up watching it until a few weeks ago just around the time Sing 2 was being released in the U.S.. Nevertheless, I really liked Sing a lot. As anyone who reads my reviews knows, I am a sucker for musicals and Sing had some amazing musical sequences. It also was just a very fun and charming movie with an absolutely loaded cast, so it was just common sense that there would be a sequel considering the original film’s success at the box office and also with critics. With that said, it is now time to find out how the sequel matches up to the original, so keep reading to find out!
Just to get this out of the way, this review isn’t going to be a deep analysis or anything like that because at the end of the day it’s an animated musical comedy film about animals that is trying to put a smile on the faces of all ages. And for me, it did just that! I had a smile on my face throughout the film, and it didn’t take me long to grow attached to all of the characters. All of the main characters are just so easy to root for, and my favorite would probably have to be Johnny the gorilla who is voiced by Taron Egerton. And don’t worry, the film is also a comedy so trust me when I say you will have your fair shares of laughs just as I did while watching. All the characters have numerous funny scenes that will get you, but no character is funnier than Gunter the pig, who is voiced by Nick Kroll. Ask my girlfriend who I saw it with, but literally every line of dialogue Gunter had made me laugh out loud. He is just so funny, and Kroll’s voice just makes the character into a fan favorite.
I was also pretty impressed with the story we get here in the sequel. I don’t think it’s an overall better story than what we got in the original, but it is just about as good a story as you’ll get in a sequel. I really liked how it picks up soon after where we left off in the original, and I was also a big fan of their plan on getting the reclusive rock star to perform again as we get to know more about that character’s emotional past. As for the animation, similar to what I said about Disney’s animation for Encanto (see my full review here), it is just top notch.
Disney has been around much longer than Illumination so they definitely have the edge, but Illumination’s animation hasn’t really missed yet. I was blown away by the animation for Sing 2, in particular the animation of Redshore City (basically comparable to Las Vegas in our world) and just all the vibrant colors that made up the city. Lastly, the music is obviously very good to nobody’s surprise. With it being a jukebox musical, you’ll get a ton of classic songs that you know and love, so those are all great, but the best song I thought was actually an original song, “Your Song Saved My Life”, which should be in contention for an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song.
In conclusion, I was very pleased with Sing 2 as it was just a really good time. I would love to see it get nominated for Best Animated Feature, but similar to Sing back in 2016, I think it might just miss out due to the competition which is unfortunate.
THE BAD
I hate to break it to you, but I am not going to be that guy who trashes an animated musical comedy movie ultimately made for kids. I wouldn’t even say there was anything “bad” about it, but I will say that was a little slow at times for me anyway and also I would have to say that the original is still the overall better film in my opinion, but not by much.
THE VERDICT
Despite me finding it to be just a hair below the original in terms of score, Sing 2 is still a very enjoyable second installment in the franchise. If you’re looking for some singing, dancing, and animated fun for the whole family, rest assured this will not disappoint as we get the whole gang back together for another fun adventure that will prove endearing to audiences of all ages.
TED TAKES RATING - 8/10
Sing 2 is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.