Think back to a moment in your life when something filled your stomach with butterflies and made you feel like you could take on the world.
Have you grasped it?
That was exactly how I felt while watching Sing 2.
Sing 2 is a sequel to the similarly named 2016 jukebox musical comedy animation. It follows Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), an ambitious koala theatre owner with a can-do attitude, and his crew of smalltown performers – leather-wearing Johnny, the gorilla (Taron Egerton), guitar playing porcupine prodigy, Ash (Scarlett Johansson), shy elephant girl with a superstar's voice, Meena (Tori Kelly), stressed, scared of heights pig mummy Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), and simple, but cool pig Gunther (Nick Kroll) – as they set out to conquer Red Shore City and show that, even though they are small-timers, they have what it takes to perform on the big stage.
The movie opens with Buster and co. attempting to impress a scout from the city. Despite her disapproval, they show up for the audition and somehow manage to convince Jimmy Crystal (Bobby Cannavale), the scout's boss, to hire them. Granted, Buster had to give the impression he has a personal relationship with a former rock star, Clay Calloway (Bono), who hadn't been seen in 15 years. The rest of the movie chronicles Buster's attempts to force Clay out of retirement, Johnny's struggles in preparation for the show, Jimmy's forcing of Porsha (Halsey), his daughter, on the company, and Meena's disaster-in-waiting performance for the show.
I'll be honest with you, I'm a music fanatic. Songs make my heart burst into colors - the bright, fun type. And Sing 2 was filled with such songs, delivered in pitch-perfect, rapturous voices. That was probably why I enjoyed it so much, alongside the bright, colorful cinematography, and superbly-done animation, of course. Plus, that scene involving Johnny and Kickenklobber towards the movie's end was a sprinkle of stardust: it was fantastic, and I absolutely loved it.
However, some of the acting left much to be desired, cue Clay Calloway. Also, I felt Jimmy Crystal's character was overdone, alongside Porsha's character. They could have been more natural and not seem so plastic. But then, that would probably make the movie more serious than it was.
If you are a fastidious person, you will find the plot simplistic and with some holes. For example, how did Clay Calloway slot in so easily, with virtually no practice, despite not having performed a single song in 15 YEARS? And how did Guitar Girl win him over that fast? Are you telling me nobody thought to play him a few of his songs and get him to give up his reclusive lifestyle over the 15 years he was hidden away?
Regardless, Sing 2 made for a fun, heart-warming watch. The movie's central theme "Always Believe in Yourself" is something I – and a lot of us – needed to hear. To be fair, it is an over-flogged theme, but what theme isn't?
If you, like me, love great music, then Sing 2 is a must-watch. However, don't forget to put your speakers at full blast, especially for the singing parts.
