A Sing Movie Review
Credit: https://teaser-trailer.com/movie/sing/
Sing was released on DVD March 21, 2017 after it played in theaters on December 21, 2016. It was produced by Illumination Entertainment, was directed and written by Garth Jennings and co-directed by Christophe Lourdelet. The film had a gross of $590 worldwide. It’s a cute animated film with a plot based straight out of American Idol. Much like Zootopia, this film deals with anthropomorphic animals. It may have a simple plot, but Sing is a film worth watching. There are a lot of heart felt moments and drama filled scenes in the film. At one point for example, Johnny’s father goes to jail and his father tells him, “How did I end up with a son like you?” Johnny is a gorilla with a voice like an angel. However, his father is always making Johnny do criminal acts with him and his gang. Johnny never wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, and when the singing contest comes up, he decides he’s had enough of the criminal life. Sing is filled with several other fleshed out characters with interesting home lives and that’s what made the movie relatable to me. Sing is a film intended for children, but adults will appreciate the moments in the film that are deep and leave a hidden message.
Characters
Buster Moon- Buster Moon is a koala bear who owns the theater where the animal contestants perform. He became interested in the theater after his father took him to a music show. His dream is to have a theater worth talking about. When his theater begins to sink, he talks to his friend, Eddie Noodleman, a sheep, about holding a singing contest.
Rosita- Rosita is an underappreciated housewife with twenty-five children. She is a pig who loves to sing, but has never had a chance to show the world her voice. When she sees the flyer for the singing contest, she jumps at the chance to show the world her talent.
Mike- Mike is a white street musician mouse who is cocky and gets by tips from people on the street. He sees the flyer for the singing contest and is thrilled because of the amount of prize money for winning. The winning contestant will receive $100,000. He loves to perform but he wants the money as well.
Johnny- Johnny is a gorilla from a rough background. His father has a gang and they make Johnny participate in their heists. He loves to sing and has never wanted to be with his father’s gang. When he sees the flyer for the singing contest, he makes an effort to show up. He ends up being a contestant for the contest, but he is constantly going back and forth between the theater and his father’s desire for him to be part of his gang.
Ash- Ash is a porcupine who is in a band with her boyfriend, Lance. When Ash is selected to be a contestant, she accepts but loses her boyfriend. He is jealous that she was chosen and he starts seeing another porcupine. Heart broken, Ash throws him out of the house. She then devotes her time to the theater.
Meena- Meena is a shy elephant, who has an outstanding voice. She goes to the theater and attempts to sing, but she is so nervous that she can’t even perform. She ends up going back home, disappointed. The next day, she asks Buster Moon for another shot at performing, but she ends up being a stagehand at the theater. Later, she makes her debut and ends up impressing everyone.
Entertainment Value
Sing is highly entertaining and fun to watch. It doesn’t bring anything new to the movie genre, but it is still a good film. The characters are memorable and their backgrounds make them likable. Johnny was my favorite character. It felt like his character was fleshed out the most. He came from a hard background, and perhaps that is why I cared so much for him. While the other characters home lives were interesting, Johnny’s character was the most relatable.
There is a scene in the movie that is one of my favorites. It is the scene with Rosita. She is in a grocery store and as she walks down the aisles, a song suddenly blares in the store. Her whole demeanor changes from worn out and tired to joyful and full of passion. She begins throwing items in the grocery cart quicker and then begins to dance. She does an amazing performance in the grocery store and even the security guard announces to the store, “To the lady in aisle six that was awesome!”
The rest of the movie is filled with cute moments like the one with Rosita in the grocery store. If you’re a fan of animated films, this one will not disappoint.
Conclusion
Sing might have an ordinary story, but the experience you have with it is anything but ordinary. It will make you smile, laugh, cry and hope the best for the characters. It is a great film and I recommend it to anyone who loves animated films with talking animals and catchy songs. The singing in the film wasn’t over done. It felt necessary when someone sang and the dialogue in the film was witty and well thought out. I loved this movie, but the final verdict is yours to decide.
