Okay, the reason I called this movie Zootopian Idol was mainly because I thought Illuminionation (I know what I wrote!) was pulling a DreamWorks. Id est, jumping on Disney's coattails to make an "edgy" version of a children's film. 1) Zootopia was actually pretty edgy on it's own, and I personally thought Sing was a little more palatable or for children. 2) I'm not sure if even Dreamworks is doing that to Disney anymore.
Without further babbling, Ew, Minion Nation's Sing.
Does anybody else see the koala for the first time?
Illumination Entertainment, mostly known for those awful yellow Dr. Mario pills, the Minions (don't get me wrong, I actually did like the first Despicable Me, when those Demon Loompas were more in the background and more disposable than some generic Legos) came out with the movie at the end of the tumultuous (for Americans) year 2016. This was a movie I wasn't particularly eager to see. It looked fun, but I wasn't sure (based on the trailer) how fun. I saw the part where that one pig was dancing to Bambodeya Mambodega Lambo-Leya Bamboleo. You know, that Spanish song that another, more famous cartoon character was dancing to:
I watched the movie and.... there is no possible way I could even dislike this movie. Is it cheesy? As heck. Is it dated? Fo' shizzle. Are the character stereotypes and plot points played out more than a child's favorite talking toy? You bet your sweet bippy.
So what in the world causes me to like this somewhat predictable movie? For one thing, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for musicals. This movie for me is kinda like the song by Silento, Watch Me. It called out some classic elements and turns it all into something fun and light-hearted in a crazy, crazy world. Sing does ultimately do what a movie is supposed to do: take you out of your real world for a short period of time and make your life a little bit better.
Let's start with the main characters.
Buster Moon is a koala who, from a young age, was in love with all things musical theatre. His Dad helped him open his theatre, and no shows of great acclaim had been produced inside it. The money runs low, and he needs a quick idea to save the place. He decides to have a local singing competition to bring in a large audience. He sets the prize at $10,000 (which he composes with some money and other valuables), but due to an accident involving his secretary's (Ms. Crawly) glass eye, the prize is set at $100,000, and the flyers get literally blown across the city. The adventures that follow give Buster a new sense of personal growth as well as remind him why he wanted to work in theatre in the first place.
And that's why I like to call this Zootopian Idol.
Makes sense, no?
Six more main characters find flyers (along with the rest of the town).
Rosita is a mother pig with her hooves full. She's got 25 piglets, which keep her attention away from her dreams of being a performer, as well as her husband, who loves her, but the spark is clearly gone from their marriage. While she's a terrific singer, she lacks moxie in her performance, so she's paired up with an over-the-top performer pig named Gunter.
Gee.... A flashy performer named Gunter...
I wonder where they got that idea--
Oh.
Johnny is a gorilla with a heart of gold, and a voice to match. His obstacle is his Dad. Mainly because his Dad is a Gang leader, and Johnny is set to be next in line. His dedication to music soon costs him more than he could imagine.
Mike is a crooner / saxophone player who is as talented as he is a bully. The little white pipsqueak is unabashedly in it for the money, glory, fame, and status.
Did I mention he's voiced by Seth MacFarlane?
Ash was originally part of an amateur punk duo with her boyfriend, but Buster chooses her for her dynamic range. While she is not particularly happy about this, she decides to enter the contest anyway, looking to use the prize money to start a record label with her boyfriend. Unfortunately for her, her relationship with her boyfriend breaks up shortly after the duo breaks up. Doubly unfortunately for her, Buster wants her to do a cheesy pop number for the competition. Ash has to learn to cope with a breakup and find her true voice in her madness.
Meena is a young girl elephant who has quite the amazing voice (anybody ever see Tori Kelly on Star Search, btw? I don't remember her for some reason.), but is too shy to perform, despite her family having her back. She flops at the audition due to stage fright, but when her parents urge her to return to get into the competition, she chickens out again, becoming a stage hand instead of a performer. She eventually learns what courage is to bring down the house.
Those album covers are awesome.
I gotta say, this has to be my favorite part of the movie, as well as the reason I find it charming. (Mad about the twerking bunnies, though.) It really does appeal to a HUGE audience and multiple generations. Music does a wonderful thing to the psyche and the soul, I believe, and even showing a few clips can bring back all kinds of wonderful emotions and memories, plus this
The little menagerie tries to get the competition off the ground, but there are many setbacks along the way. Again, I do not feel like giving away the ending of this or many more details. I say watch it for yourself, especially if you love music.
What's a crazy thing you've always wanted to try? If you worked for yourself, what would you do? And if you've ever auditioned, what was your favorite audition story / role?
Plugging time! YouTubePage
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