I initially skipped Sing (2016) and had not desired to return and give it a watch. The first time I saw the Sing 2 (2021) trailer, I rolled my eyes and resigned myself to skipping it as well. I couldn’t really tell you why movies about underdogs find themselves in music – a topic that I’ve praised time and time again – but I finally caved. Sing was excellent, and Sing 2 is a great example of what a sequel should do, as character development continues rather than resetting. Fans of the first will have a great time following their favorite characters as they continue their journey as musical performers.
Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) is determined to bring his crew to Redshore City, despite being told they are too amateur for the big time. Gunter (Nick Kroll) offers an idea for what boils down to be a space opera that sparks an interest in the crew of Jimmy Crystal(Bobby Cannavale), but he has higher expectations than most. The show hinges on Buster’s ability to get the long reclusive Clay Calloway (Bono) to come back to the stage.
Sequels often just undo what they did in the first film, and the characters appear to have not changed at all. Fortunately, Sing 2 seems to find new ways to play on our characters’ insecurities. Take Meena (Tori Kelly), for example…in the first film, she is too shy to sing in front of people, but she has the most powerful voice of all. In Sing 2, her shyness hasn’t crippled her ability to sing – but instead, she now must learn to get over another introverted hurdle: romance. Her role in the new show requires her to pretend to love Darius (Eric André), and her inexperience with love makes it hard for her. The film does this with most of the characters, and we get to see them continue their journey rather than just rehashing it.
Of course, a movie like this relies on the soundtrack – and this one slaps. The performances are strong, and the musical elements of the production are a lot of fun. My favorite elements of the show include Rosita (Reese Witherspoon) and Gunter. However, Halsey joins the cast as Porsche Crystal and lends her powerful vocals to some pretty great songs. There is just so much joy in the film that I wasn’t surprised when I had tears in my eyes at the film’s finale.
Sing 2 brings exactly what it should to the table, making it a stand-out sequel. I really hope Illumination embraces these characters and helps get them to be bigger icons than the minions. There is so much to enjoy with these movies that it is a shame it took me so long to finally watch the first. Sing 2 is a Must-See movie especially for fans of the first.
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