Sing [2016] is a family animation from the studio behind children’s phenomenon Despicable Me. A down-on-his-luck koala and theatre magnate, Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), creates a singing competition that he hopes will save his theatre. But, as the competition proceeds the situation goes from bad to worse, and both Buster and his singing hopefuls may never get the chance to change their lives.
Reality Rules: Sing takes advantage of our seemingly endless and ever-growing love for the reality TV singing competition format, using it to create a well-structured, well-paced narrative. Using this format gives the story an easily defined three-acts, gives it clear transition points and leads it towards obvious ‘big’ moments (like the final concert). It introduces a host of loveable characters with beautiful voices and big dreams through the auditions, it develops these characters and throws a whole host of problems at them through the rehearsals, and it sets all to rights through the big final performance. The movie verges on cheesy a lot of the time, but it’s easy to follow for the kids, while still being lots of fun to watch.
The Shy Elephant: The Reality TV format also weaves the stories of multiple characters together, without letting the plot drag. There’s Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), mother of twenty-five who doesn’t have the confidence to dance, Mike (Seth Macfarlane) the smooth mouse, with the purple velvet suit, Ash (Scarlett Johansson) the Rockstar hedgehog, Johnny (Taron Egerton) the soulful gorilla with a convict father, and Meena (Tori Kelly) the shy elephant with a knockout voice. As with shows like The X Factor and The Voice, each character brings their own hopes, dreams and stories to the screen, which adds nicely to the overall plot. By the end of the film, you’ll want all of them to be your best friends.
Encore: When it comes right down to it, the best bit of this film is, of course, the music. With its poppy anthems, jazz classics, and soulful ballads, there’s something for everyone. The cast all have beautiful voices (Seth Macfarlane was quite a big surprise) and they’re sure to leave you dancing or singing in your seats.
With its host of colorful characters and its excellent tracklist, Sing is an absolute joy to watch.
