Sing
2016
***
Director: Garth Jennings
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Garth Jennings
Buster Moon's lifelong dream was to own a theater, but he struggles to make ends meet. The resilient koala hopes that a singing competition could reverse his fortunes. Hundreds of animals take part in the auditions, but only two pigs, a mouse, a gorilla, a porcupine, and an elephant make it through to the end. Like the recent Zootopia, this is another animation set in a city where all kinds of animals live happily side by side. The main characters are well-drawn and voiced, but the first half is a bit heavy-going, perhaps because the story needs to divide its focus between the various contestants. However, things do pick up in the second half, and the climactic show is very moving and foot-tapping.
