When you have nothing else, just sing!
Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) is a koala, that was such of love for the theater that he bought his own. Recently Buster has fallen on hard times. So to help him keep the theater, he comes up with the idea for a singing contest. After the auditions, who is left are Mike (Seth MacFarlane), a mouse who croons as smoothly as he cons; Meena (Tori Kelly), a timid teenage elephant with an enormous case of stage fright; Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), an overtaxed mother run ragged tending a litter of 25 piglets; Johnny (Taron Egerton), a young gangster gorilla looking to break free of his family’s felonies; and Ash (Scarlett Johansson), a punk-rock porcupine struggling to shed her arrogant boyfriend and go solo. Now Buster, and his best friend Eddie (John C. Reilly), will do anything to put on this singing competition and save the theater.
I’ve seen the rest of the cast in countless other films and they were really great. The only one I wasn’t familiar with as Tori Kelly. She’s a singer, but not the type of music I listen too. Not that’s a bad thing, she’s just not on my radar. You could tell that she’s not used to acting, but she still does a great job.
There’s action, comedy, suspense and heart in this film. And it great for all ages. There were jokes my 4-year old didn’t get. Personally, I think that’s the sign of good animation.
What really makes this film special is the music. The choices were from Frank Sinatra, to Elton John, to Lady Gaga. Truly a diverse mix here. And it all really works here.
Overall this is a wonderful film, and just in time for the holiday. Seriously, if you have kids or not, you have to see Sing.
Sing opens nationwide December 21, 2016.
Dan Kleiner