Little Buster Moon is a theater producer whose plays are in great demand among the audience of a small town where animals live. However, even despite high critical acclaim, Moon’s plays are not taken to the big stage. This sets a new goal for the koala: to go to the big city to meet the major producer, Jimmy Crystal, a wolf. Together with him, his old group is also going on the trip: the lonely elephant Meena, the pig-mother Rosita, the shy teenage gorilla Johnny, the porcupine-rocker Ash, and the one-eyed chameleon-secretary Miss Crawly. The path to the big stage will not only be the main one in the life of the “Moon Squad”, but will also determine the fate of the entire theater.
Still from the animated film “Sing 2”
“Sing 2” is a sequel to the 2016 animated hit about singing animals who decided to take part in a competition by a young theater producer, Buster Moon, for a fee, but eventually turned into a real team. The studio’s first cartoon was not so much original (we have seen singing animals more than once), but rather a smart spectacle. Modern musical hits, bright characters and jokes are what everyone loved the first part for, which was also lucky with the release. Six months before the premiere of the Illumination studio’s cartoon, the beloved “Zootopia” was released, the action of which took place in a similar world, so it did not take long to wait for success.
Still from the animated film “Sing 2”
The sequel was also lucky. Due to the pandemic, the release of the cartoon was postponed to December, which is extremely interesting in the context of the animation itself. The main theme of the two films is faith in a dream, a miracle that can fill everyone’s life with energy. This is exactly the kind of cartoon that gives hope for the future that you want to watch on the eve of the New Year holidays. This is confirmed not only by the high demand of the audience (the halls of most cinemas are filled with people, even despite the release of “The Matrix” and the new “Spider-Man”), but also by the Russian-language TV spot mentioning the atmosphere of the holidays.
And most importantly, “Sing 2”, continuing to develop the elements of the previous part, reaches a new level. Now on the screen is not just a cartoon, in whose images you can notice similarities with the real world, but a real drama about love and overcoming life circumstances. Immersing the characters in new conditions, the director not only shows their evolution, but also brings them closer together, creating even more contact. New characters are not lost against the background of the old ones, but, on the contrary, contribute to updating the concept of the first part: the scale of the show has become larger, so the actors will have to work harder, going through the most difficult trials.
Still from the animated film “Sing 2”
Against the background of all the newcomers, the lion-rocker Clay Calloway stands out, who lost his wife in the past, as well as hope for further existence. Living in solitude, he seems to have completely lost his way in his inner world, pushing music into the background. This character is a key link for the new “Sing”: it is symbolic that it is the lion who ends Moon’s new theatrical performance, coming out of the cave to the music written for his beloved woman.
Still from the animated film “Sing 2”
Sing 2: A deeper dive
“Sing 2” cleverly addresses the industry itself, ridiculing the image of a critic at the very beginning, then producers who are ready to cut off their heads for the quality of their project. Raising topics relevant to cinema not only complicates the cartoon, but also increases the interest of the adult audience in the product. The animation goes much further than the first part, touching on many topical problems: this is a creative crisis, and the fear of complete loneliness, and the first relationship that you will remember for a long time. And, despite the overall heaviness, “Sing 2” gives out, probably, the best ending for all the cartoons of the Illumination studio, which first ends the main story of the picture, and then sums up the results of two works at once, putting the final point.
The Target Audience
At the same time, the new project of the studio primarily addresses young viewers. Offering jokes that are understandable to any age, and new locations, and the final performance itself, lasting about thirty minutes. This is what makes “Sing 2” not only an improved version of the first part, but also a popular hit that will be repeatedly reviewed in order to believe in a dream again.