In & Out [post]: Sing 2

It's okay, your songs will carry you.

Rating: PG    Runtime: 110 minutes    

Where: Regal West Manchester (sneak preview (!) with Violet)

What's it about? Buster Moon and his crew are doing well in their own little theater, but surprising no one, Moon wants more. They audition for a Vegas-y type show and get laughed out of the room. Moon alters the pitch and promises his show will be like nothing any one has ever seen before, and feature a music legend...who no one has seen in a long time

What works: The musical numbers are really, really well done, and the movie has energy and color to spare. Think the finale of the last Madagascar film and you're on the right track. The cast that returns all do a great job, and thank Movie God that that awful rat guy from the first one (the crooner voiced by Seth MacFarlane is nowhere to be found [I hated that bastard])

What doesn't: Nothing featuring talking animals should sniff the two-hour mark. Ever. And if I'm honest (and a jerk), some of the side-stories are less compelling than others (but nothing as bad as in the first flick).

 

Yays: Taron Egerton always steals the show with his singing (Johnny is my favorite character, easily), but my goodness does ScarJo bring it. Ms. Crawly gets a lot to do, and surprisingly, the movie is better for it. Oh, and the fact that they somehow got Bono (and U2 songs) in here is borderline mind-blowing, even if the old lion is a bit scary looking (think Scar in a suit after years of alcoholism). Easily a marked improvement on the first one (which actually got better re-watching it after this one).

Boos: Vegas mob-boss guy Mr. Crystal kind of sucks (even if he is voiced by Bobby Cannavale), as he's a little more hardcore than this movie demands. And while I'm all for omitting the rat guy (again, hate that prick), where were the K-Pop red panda things? 

Toss it, and leave it or pull up quick to retrieve it? If you have kids, I'd say go ahead and press play on this one. If not, you might enjoy the songs, regardless. Between you and me, I can't wait to see it again.