"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+
"Dear Evan Hansen": When Adaptations Go Wrong
Dear Evan Hansen is Netflix’s You the musical! If you’re a fan of You, you understand how the main character seems like a nice person, has an interesting internal dialogue that no-one else hears, but at the end of the day is a stalker/killer. While Evan Hansen (Ben Platt) isn’t a stalker or killer in this film, he certainly has the same underlying creep factor. So this may be enjoyable for some, but I’m flabbergasted as to how anyone would believe this film is a drama/musical when it should be labeled a psychological thriller.
Evan Hansen has a social anxiety disorder that makes it hard for him to make friends. As much as he’d love to, it’s extremely difficult. He’s on medication and writes letters to himself as instructed by his therapist. After Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan) intercepts one of these letters and then commits suicide with the note on him, his parents believe Connor’s only friend was Evan. Evan runs with the lie because Cynthia (Amy Adams), Connor’s mom, is absolutely distraught over Connor’s death while his father, Larry Mora (Danny Pino), is numb. Seeing it as an opportunity to bring healing and maybe get closer to his crush, Zoey (Kaitlyn Dever), Connor’s sister, Evan goes full method acting.
The film is guaranteed to make you as anxiety ridden as its main character, but maybe not for the reasons intended by director Stephen Chbosky. That’s because you have to get over the fact that high school senior, Evan Hansen, is played by 28 year old Ben Platt. That’s if you can go along with the film’s premise, which all of the characters in the film do, leaving its audience befuddled as to why they go with the rouse. The mixture of serious dramatic acting with giant musical numbers feels so out of touch for cinematic adaption from the Tony and Grammy winning play.
The film has its moments in shining a light on how we treat death. The same jocks that ridicule Connor one day, take a solemn selfie in front of his locker the next. Students create The Connor Project in honor of the boy no one seems to have really known, but it brings the entire town together. There are plenty of moments where you think the film is going to make an important statement on suicide, grief, and loss but it never commits to bringing that to light.
I give Dear Evan Hansen credit that it takes itself seriously as a film adaptation. Unfortunately, this is an uneven film. Themes of having empathy for others, understanding we all have something to contribute to the world and recognizing we all have insecurities are lost in the sauce of the uncomfortable, awkwardness of the melodrama of it all. I mean, bursting out into song is expected in musicals, but singing in the midst of a serious conversation doesn’t feel right here. Maybe this worked on stage, but it doesn’t on screen.
Rating: D