Illumination have a pedigree for charm and comedy but will this new release hit all the right notes?…
Buster Moon weathers his failing theatre’s end of days with undying optimism. Finding himself with a last chance to secure his father’s legacy, the hunt is on for career-redefining show. Throwing open the doors to local performers large and small, Moon and his assistant Miss Crawly search for new talent.
A motley crew of singers flock to Moon’s call. It is immediately clear there is huge scope for humour within the animation and character choices, for all the acts that are not seen the writers have created highly amusing exits. It is quite apparent from the get go that this is not a new story or one with any groundbreaking messages. However, the panache with which the characters are brought to life and the depth of their individual stories makes for a great easy watch.
Taron Egerton (Johnny the Gorilla) adds yet another string to his bow, as he surprises all with his singing abilities. While this is the story of Johnny I certainly left surprised to find that Egerton had not used a stand-in for his singing parts. All the characters are full blooded and brought to life with individual flavour and fun, from Gunter’s spandex-laden piggy power to Nina’s hidden depths. These characters are what makes this film one to watch for all ages.
The underlying backdrop of adult humour is never overplayed, but works in tandem with the more simple slapstick-humour that caters for all ages. The use of humour balances the darker tones of the character’s home lives, combined with the pursuit of their talent which helps elevate them emotionally. Most people watching will find a character that appeals to them in some way, be it living up to a difficult legacy or trying hard to keep things ticking over and missing life’s great opportunities.
The world building is up to Illuminations usual high standards. Although it doesn’t have the level of imagination and ingenuity of Disney’s Zootopia, Sing does enough to put some personality into the theatre itself, particularly the scene where Moon awakes from the draw under his desk ready for the day’s work. Moon’s quirky methods to spin the plates and keep the theatre open did not stray too far from realistic practicalities to become silly, this gave the story a good grounding in a world the viewer can understand and relate to.
Sing, does everything with enough skill to allow the individual characters to shine above all else. It is refreshing to have a story where no character could truly be described as stealing all the limelight. Each character has equal portions of humour and hardship, which they deal with through the joint experience of the competition. This is definitely worth a watch if you are looking for something to cheer you up early in the year.
Author: Joe, Bath store
