I should put out a disclaimer that I generally don't care for illumination movies. Dreamworks and Pixar truly paved the way for quality 3d animated flicks for kids and set the bar fairly high. Illumination, while not terrible, always felt like it was playing catch-up and emulating its cinematic predecessors with lukewarm success.
I was initially wary as the movie really seemed to embrace the "zeitgeist" of the modern music industry "top 40" offerings, but, Sing is the first movie where it truly seems as if they "got it". It has its own issues and isn't perfect... But what it DID get right, is far more significant than what it got wrong.
The way the story is put on display from a circulating perspective around the main character (Buster) is done in a classic "hub and spoke" fashion. This generally shouldn't be considered remarkable as many movies, for quite a while now, have used this approach. Sing just pulls it off incredibly well. The way they've decided to interweave all the characters and their respective circumstances was creative and interesting.
The movie also pulls at the heartstrings gracefully. It doesn't feel cheap. There's some real thought that went into this in order to engage the viewer. Over the course of the last few years I have watched this movie 4 times now (with healthy breaks in-between), and each time, without fail, my eyes get misty at certain parts.
The subject matter this movie delves into is complex, but it tries to approach it gingerly. There's too much fluff in some moments, but the primary focus NEVER shifts away from the meat of the matter. I am glad to see that the studio has remained consistent with this with Sing 2 as well.
I could keep extolling this movie's strengths but it really all boils down to 3 things:
There are little details that you will catch on your second or third re-watch that'll make you appreciate it more. This is generally true of many movies- but here the way it's presented is very subtle.
I will continue to re-watch this periodically as it honestly surprised me.
I was initially wary as the movie really seemed to embrace the "zeitgeist" of the modern music industry "top 40" offerings, but, Sing is the first movie where it truly seems as if they "got it". It has its own issues and isn't perfect... But what it DID get right, is far more significant than what it got wrong.
The way the story is put on display from a circulating perspective around the main character (Buster) is done in a classic "hub and spoke" fashion. This generally shouldn't be considered remarkable as many movies, for quite a while now, have used this approach. Sing just pulls it off incredibly well. The way they've decided to interweave all the characters and their respective circumstances was creative and interesting.
The movie also pulls at the heartstrings gracefully. It doesn't feel cheap. There's some real thought that went into this in order to engage the viewer. Over the course of the last few years I have watched this movie 4 times now (with healthy breaks in-between), and each time, without fail, my eyes get misty at certain parts.
The subject matter this movie delves into is complex, but it tries to approach it gingerly. There's too much fluff in some moments, but the primary focus NEVER shifts away from the meat of the matter. I am glad to see that the studio has remained consistent with this with Sing 2 as well.
I could keep extolling this movie's strengths but it really all boils down to 3 things:
- The characters and their happenstance are relatable and not overly simplified
- Leading in from the previous point, the movie seems to respect the viewer
- The thematic through-line from beginning to end is subtle, and not hamfisted
There are little details that you will catch on your second or third re-watch that'll make you appreciate it more. This is generally true of many movies- but here the way it's presented is very subtle.
I will continue to re-watch this periodically as it honestly surprised me.
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