Colourful characters, a great soundtrack and elements of The Voice are my immediate reflections when considering Sing, the latest animation from the studio that brought us Despicable Me, The Lorax and Minions. It is the first collaboration between writer/director Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and the founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, Chris Meledandri.
Set in a world like ours but entirely inhabited by animals, Sing features Buster Moon (the unmistakable voice of Matthew McConaughey) as a dapper koala who presides over a once-grand theatre that has fallen on hard times. Buster is an eternal – some might even say delusional – optimist who loves his theatre above all else and will do anything to preserve it. Now faced with the crumbling of his life’s ambition, he has one final chance to restore his fading jewel to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition. Five lead contestants emerge.
They include Mike (Seth MacFarlane), a mouse who croons as smoothly as he cons people and Meena (Tori Kelly), a timid teenage elephant with an enormous case of stage fright. Then there is Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), an overtaxed mother run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets and Johnny (Taron Egerton), a young gangster gorilla looking to break free of his family’s criminal activities. Finally, you have Ash (Scarlett Johansson), a punk-rock porcupine struggling to shed herself of her arrogant boyfriend and go solo. Each arrives believing that this is their shot to change the course of their lives … and as Buster coaches each of his contestants closer to the grand finale, he starts to learn that maybe the theatre isn’t the only thing that is in need of saving.
In Sing, the performers struggle with everyday problems: feeling overlooked by family, worrying about bills, overcoming barriers that prevent happiness and growing comfortable in our own skin. The vocal talent also extends to John C. Reilly as Mr Moon’s best friend, a wealthy sheep, Jennifer Saunders as an ageing and crotchety diva (and the sheep’s granny) and Jennifer Hudson (as that same diva, but younger), among others. In addition, writer/director Jennings voices one of the supporting, and scene-stealing, players. When his character, Buster’s longtime assistant Miss Crawly – an elderly female lizard who is constantly dropping an eye – makes a typographical mistake that sets in motion the events in Sing. You see, the flyer she prints out promoting the contest promises $100,000 to the lucky winner, not the $1,000 that Mr Moon intended.
The picture features more than 65 hit songs, ranging from covers of classic Frank Sinatra and the soulful R&B of Drake to the infectious pop of Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. Sing is rich and lively, establishing the backgrounds of each of the key characters early on and then introducing other bit players to flesh out the main game. So, there are many stories within stories, which help make this the charmer that it turns out to be. The personalities are diverse and engaging throughout. With Buster Moon’s luck, it is inevitable that things will go wrong regularly and the twists and turns in the script (its surprises), together with its good humour and heart, elevate Sing beyond the ordinary.
The colour palette is a delight and the choice of songs almost perfect, although I would have preferred the final number from the timid elephant – the zenith of the show – to have been stronger. The filmmakers could have shaved 10 or 15 minutes off the running time without adversely impacting the narrative. Overall though, Sing is beaut, feel good holiday fare. Rated G, it scores a 7½ to 8 out of 10.
Director: Garth Jennings
Cast: (Voices of) Matthew McConaughey, Seth MacFarlane, Tori Kelly, Reese Witherspoon, Taron Egerton, Scarlett Johansson
Release Date: 26 December 2016
Rating: G
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television
