You'll sing its praises.
Sing
Grade: A
Directors: Garth Jennings (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Christophe Louordelet
Screenplay: Jennings
Cast: Matthew McConaughy (Mud), Reese Witherspoon (Sweet Home Alabama)
Rating: PG
Runtime: 110 min
by John DeSando
“A singing competition. Just think, your neighbor, the-the-the grocery store manager, that-that-that-that chicken, right there. Everyone in the city gets a shot at being a star live on my stage!” Buster Moon (voice of Matthew McConaughey)
That’s pretty much it, Folks: A Chorus Line for animals. This time they have to save their theater in order to promote their careers. Among them are a suave mouse, Mike (Seth Macfarlane), who sings like Sinatra, and a tubby elephant, Ash, who looks nothing like her voice, Scarlett Johansson.
Besides being a perfect animation for kids out of school, the crew of Despicable Me and Secret Life of Pets slyly proffers a lesson for us all: believing in your dream and working your butt off to get it. Along the way, our little ones can see the value of cooperation and mutual respect, both of which yield unexpected rewards personally and the world at large.
Although the young audience will delight in the musical numbers, we all are likely to hum an Oscar-worthy Set It All Free. I often think of the animation geniuses who give us not only memorable characters but also thoughtful themes. Happy holidays to those gift givers.
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics. Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.rr.com
