I Watch Films: Sing 2

Sing 2

I tried my best to learn absolutely nothing about Sing, but had some information forced on me, which I will do my best to ignore for this review. Buster Moon, a koala, is a theatre manager putting on a musical about Alice In Wonderland, with his stars, an elephant, two pigs and a gorilla, and a bunch of other animals. A scout from Redshore City (Las Vegas) comes and dismisses the show, so Moon packs up his stars, a porcupine rock guitarist and his one-eyed gecko comedy sidekick to gatecrash auditions in front of Jimmy Crystal, a wolf and entertainment mogul. He also rejects the show but is inspired by one of the pigs ideas for a sci-fi musical featuring the songs of Clay Calloway. Calloway has been a recluse for fifteen years since the death of his wife, and also has the back catalogue of U2 and Moon lies when he claims he can get him in the show (he’s played by Bono when he finally appears).

The problems then are firstly that they need to get Clay Calloway, secondly they haven’t got a script but need to put it on in three weeks, and thirdly three of the main performers can’t do their part. The gorilla clashes with the choreographer for the dance fight on the war planet, the pig can’t do the jump from the tower into the wormhole and the elephant can’t do her love song being too inexperienced. Each of these get worked through picking up some new characters for the ensemble (including Porsha Crystal, Jimmy’s daughter, who can do the jump but can’t act). Things come to a head when they succeed in getting Calloway but have fired Porsha; Jimmy tries to throw Moon from the top of the tower and send his goons after him. They get away and put the show on.

As a jukebox musical, many of the songs I was more or less familiar with. One of the things that happens is that not only are the songs re-contextualised from my understanding, but they’re doing it twice at once, with a meaning within the film and simultaneously within the show in the film. Occasionally this was good, more often I watched in puzzlement trying to figure it out, but I’m not sure there was anything to figure out

Watch This: Animated animals putting on a show!
Don’t Watch This: It’s cover versions of songs being repurposed for no good reason