Sing will have wannabe popstars dancing in the cinema aisles - good fun plus catchy tunes equals happy parents
Jam packed with charming covers of hit songs and an all-star cast, this colourful animated comedy has blatantly jumped on the talking animals and talent competitions bandwagon. And it does it no harm whatsoever.
Sing tells the story of a hyped-up, musical-loving koala called Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), whose dad grafted hard to buy him a theatre. Unfortunately, after a string of flops, the bank manager comes knocking and Buster has one more chance to save his crumbling playhouse - an X Factor style competition. Although this talent show has a twist; it hangs on to the contestants who can actually sing rather than the cute, marketable ones.
Enter Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), a busy mother-of-25 piglets with a not-so-helpful husband. Then there's Mike (Seth MacFarlane), a swinging, singing rat whose self-admiration stretches much taller than himself.
Next up is Johnny (Taron Egerton), the cockney Gorilla whose soulful voice is a real crowd pleaser, but the only person he wants to please is his gangster dad. Ash (Scarlett Johansson) brings the punk while pining for her self-absorbed boyfriend. And then there's Meena (Tori Kelly), a teenage elephant who has a serious case of stage fright.
With this gang of hopefuls vying for the big money prize, the stage is set for a magnificent contest that will bring the house down. However, before opening night, the house actually does come down after a rather spectacular lighting trick goes especially wrong.
While it may not have the deepest of messages, Sing wisely leaves aside sneering and jeering in favour of fun and warmth.
Yes, there are loads of characters to keep track off, but the script still allows you to feel Rosita's desire to be noticed and Miss Crawly's pain when she learns she has put the whole contest in jeopardy.
And only the cold-hearted amongst us wouldn't will Meena to overcome her fear of singing in front of people and for Johnny to make the right decision.
Get ready for a pop onslaught and then some.
Suzanne Keane
