"Sing 2": Sophomore Jitters But Still A Good Time!
Sing 2 suffers from the sophomore jitters. The film goes bigger than Sing but relies on the same “Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) must prove himself” ideal that we saw in its predecessor. That said, it’s still a fun time in the theaters with the family.
We already know the main players, so Sing 2 throws us into the group’s latest performance. It’s a beautiful rendition of Alice in Wonderland that showcases Meena (Tori Kelly), Ash (Scarlett Johansson), and Johnny (Taron Egerton) in their own ways. Buster, however, wants to go bigger! He has a dream of taking his team to perform in the entertainment center of the world, Redshore City, but not just anyone can get a show in this Las Vegas style city. You have to get the approval of Mr. Crystal (Bobby Cannavale), a wolf who seems to be head of the mob in Redshore.
After sneaking their way into an audition for Mr. Crystal, Moon and associates have Crystal’s backing with a blank check under one condition: they promise to have rock star-turned recluse Clay Calloway (Bono) in the show. The only problem is, they don’t know where Calloway is themselves. Thus, this starts a race to create a unique show fit for the high expectations of a Redshore City show, Mr. Crystal’s intimidating persona, and getting Calloway to come out of seclusion.
The theme of overcoming the odds and believing in yourself is front and center again. Which is great for kids and families. However, getting to the point that the team is seeing their dreams come true in the race to pull off an amazing show is based on Moon lying his way into that position. The film never addresses this and thus there is a conflict of morals in the messaging. “Hey kids, you can do anything you put your mind to, even if you don’t tell the truth to get there along the way!” If there is a Sing 3, which there very well could be, writer/director Garth Jennings, needs to rethink Buster’s constant need to lie and somehow successfully pull off tasks. Life doesn’t work that way.
That big issue aside, the movie is fun and fast moving. A special shoutout has to be given to the Animation Department and Patrick Delage, the animation director. Sing 2 essentially is a movie that showcases a broadway style theatrical show and the animators nail it! From behind the scenes to the set design, everything looks and feels like a big theatrical show.
New characters, Porsha Crystal (Halsey), Suki (Chelsea Peretti) and Nooshy (Letitia Wright) are fun to watch and worth mentioning. Porsha is Mr. Crystal’s daughter who can sing like an angel but can’t act to save her life, forcing the Moon to choose between talent and pleasing Mr. Crystal. Suki is Mr. Crystal’s chief of staff of sorts whose animated bob and wardrobe is worth studying in and of itself in terms of character design. Nooshy is a street cat that has the performing skills that can’t be taught, or maybe they can if she can help Johnny.
The stakes are higher, sets are bigger and better, and the songs are just as fun as they were in Sing. My kiddos watched the screener I received five times within three days. I kid you not. So the kids will love the film! It’s a good time at the movies this holiday season!
Rating: B+
"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" Review
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a solid sequel and a whole lot of fun. The follow-up to the 2015 hit film Kingsman: The Secret Service, director Matthew Vaughn expands on the world that he brought to life from the comic book series from Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons. To put it in comparison, this is miles ahead better than the last sequel to a Millar comic that Vaughn was involved with, 2013’s Kick-Ass 2, which was a disappointment. It’s insane, outrageous, but never takes itself too seriously. At times, it matches the level of enjoyment that I had for the first film, and Vaughn has another winner of a film.
Taking place sometime after the events of The Secret Service, Kingsman comes under attack from a mysterious organization known as “The Golden Circle” that’s masterminded by Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore). After Poppy destroys the Kingsman headquarters, Eggsy (Taron Egerton) and Merlin (Mark Strong) head to the United States to team up with their American counterparts the Statesman, who are lead by Champagne (Jeff Bridges) and agents like Tequila (Channing Tatum), Whiskey (Pedro Pascal), and Ginger Ale (Halle Berry). As they uncover Poppy’s master plan, Eggsy and Merlin must also contend with something else: how Harry (Colin Firth) is seemingly still alive.
Like with the first film, the action sequences here are kinetic, frantic, and over the top. The action starts within the first minute, right after the opening titles. Instead of making the action sequences hard to follow like some directors would do, Vaughn directs these sequences in such a way that you’re not confused with what’s happening on screen. There’s an action scene in here that’s up there, in my opinion, with the church sequence from the first film. Speaking of the first film, the callbacks that Vaughn and his writing partner, Jane Goldman, put in the film was for most of the time well placed. With the subplot involving Harry and how Vaughn and Goldman brought him back into the fold, I bought into it. The film, at times, wears its references loud and proud, like James Bond (you’ll know them when you see it). The production design of the film is interesting, and each location seems to stand on its own, in particularly Poppy’s color-coordinated red diner.
All of the actors in the film seem like they are having fun, knowing what type of film they signed up for. As with the first film, there are some huge laughs, and you can expect the same here. The pacing, for the most part, is good and the music choices that Vaughn selected for the soundtrack were right on, like Prince and John Denver (with this and Alien: Covenant, seems like a resurgence with his music). Finally, there’s a cameo in here that’s so brilliant that it had me rolling on the floor laughing. If you don’t know who I’m talking about, please do your best in not spoiling it before you see it. Worth it.
If there’s anything negative that The Golden Circle had, it’s that for a 141-minute film, there were parts that Vaughn could have condensed. Even though the callbacks were good, sometimes they are overkill. Lastly, like with The Secret Service, there are some scenes that had questionable CGI or it’s really noticeable, as if Vaughn and his team ran out of time.
Overall, Kingsman: The Golden Circle is a good sequel. As a fan of the first one, I was quite pleased with the results. If you liked the first one, or like these types of films, chances are you will like this. This is another comic book movie winner for this year. Since there’s a tease at the end for a potential third film, I’m looking forward to the next one!
Rating: B