Film Review: "Sing" (2016).

"Auditions begin 2016" for Sing. This computer-animated musical comedy film co-directed by Garth Jennings and Christophe Lourdelet, written by Jennings, and produced by Illumination Entertainment. To save his theatre from foreclosure, koala Buster Moon decides to host a singing competition with a 1,000 USD prize. But his assistant adds two extra zeroes by mistake while making the fliers.

In January 2014, it was announced that an animated musical comedy, about  about "courage, competition and carrying a tune", to be written and directed by Jennings, and produced by Illumination Entertainment. The film was originally entitled Lunch, then retitled Sing. In mid January 2015, Matthew McConaughey was cast in the film's lead voice role. In mid June 2015, it was confirmed that McConaughey's character was named Buster and that John C. Reilly would voice Eddie, a sheep and Buster's best friend. In November 2015, it was announced that Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, Tori Kelly and Taron Egerton had joined the cast of the film. From mid January to November 2015, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Saunders, Peter Serafinowicz, Nick Kroll, Nick Offerman, Leslie Jones, and Tara Strong were cast. The film features sixty-five pop songs, the rights to which cost fifteen percent of the film's $75 million budget. The animation was created entirely in France by Illumination Mac Guff.

The film features the voice talents of McConaughey, Witherspoon, MacFarlane, Johansson, Reilly, Egerton, Kelly, Saunders, Serafinowicz, Kroll, Offerman, Jones, and Strong. Despite the best efforts of the talented voice cast, unfortunately the characters were thinly distinguished, backed up by flashy yet enjoyable musical numbers, and full of gloppy sentimentality. The performances combines the barely-there characterization of The Secret Life of Pets with the somewhat irritating cute character design and adequate pop covers of Strange Magic.

Sing brings its instantly recognizable characters to the big screen in a colorful adventure that, while geared toward the younger set, isn't without rewards for parents. An animated fluffball—a sort of Trolls with anthropomorphic animals does everything to drive you crazy and ends up being totally irresistible. The film offers a beautifully animated, cheerfully undemanding family-friendly diversion, thanks to its fast-pace, humour and its talented voice cast. Ultimately, the 'do what you love' moral of the story, while trite compared to something like Trolls, is sufficiently sweet enough for its audience. Did you expect more from a piece of candy? You simply will walk out – or perhaps dance out – of the theatre feeling very happy yourself. Exuberant, busy and sometimes funny, Illumination Entertainment's Sing is determined to amuse. It's an admittedly vibrant-looking but awfully recognizable animated musical comedy concoction. Make no mistake: Kids are going to love this movie. It's cute, it's colourful, it has tons of catchy songs, and the messages are positive and easy to understand (happiness is inside everyone, if you know where/how to find it, and you shouldn't have to change who you are to get someone to like you).

Simon says Sing receives:

Also, see my review for The Secret Life of Pets.