Sing
(2016)
(SPOILERS) The movie that proved, after all the Despicable Minions and Secret Lives of Pets, that Illumination
were unstoppable. They may not make animations that aspire to greatness (but
then, after Monsters University and Cars 2 & 3, neither does Pixar any more), but they tap into a particular populism
that puts DreamWorks firmly in its place. Sing
is resolutely unfancy, with a back-of-a-matchbox plot, average animation and
nothing remotely surprising up its sleeve, but it works.
You might reasonably have assumed Sing was in a not dissimilarly sailed boat to The Angry Birds Movie and The
Emoji Movie, coasting as it does on a reality TV talent show formula that
has been in the descendant for half a decade. But that’s evidently not counting
on the lure of cute animals offering variable takes on amateur song-and-dance
acts. And they aren’t even that cute. Weirdly, Garth Jennings’ movie has overseen
an anthropomorphic cast that are closer to bobbleheads than anything disarmingly
appealing.
But the succession of pop songs (amounting to 15% of the
budget) hit all the expected and familiar notes (they even shoehorn Hallelujah in, a sure sign of creative
bankruptcy), and the auditions in particular, represent a succession of mostly
very amusing snapshots. The voice artists are effective; Matthew McConaughey as
theatre owner Buster Moon (a koala), Reese Witherspoon as housewife-with-a-dream
Rosita (a porker), Seth MacFarlane proving – if there was any lingering doubt –
that he’s only better when you can’t see him as an egotistical Sinatra-type (a
mouse). Less successful are the biggest cliché-wallowing ones, the shy elephant
(Tori Kelly) and born-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-gorilla-enclosure Johnny (Taron
Egerton). Scarlett Johansson’s porcupine is simply forgettable.
As is often the case in animations, the most enjoyable
characters are on the wacky fringes; Nick Kroll’s dancing pig Gunter, with an
accent to match his name; Jennings himself as an iguana whose eyes are never
pointing in the same direction. He even gives a few lines to chums Adam Buxton
and Edgar Wright.
The third act show itself may follow the same predictable
format as the rest of the movie, but it’s a winning formula, picking tracks
such as I’m Still Standing and,
naturally, My Way. It’s difficult not
to be carried along with the careless enthusiasm. It may seem odd to label an
animation ramshackle (unless the Weinsteins are releasing it), but the
description rather suits Jennings’ movie. Sing
displays a personal touch despite its rather impersonal subject matter. I’d
suggest the sequel would be an altogether more showboating affair, but then
Illumination do so like to keep their budgets down.
Agree? Disagree? Mildly or vehemently? Let me know in the comments below.
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