Film critics have given mixed reviews to the Universal computer-animated feature Sing 2, the sequel to the 2016 film Sing. The creative team includes Garth Jennings (screenplay, direction), Christophe Lourdelet (direction), Gregory Perler (editing), and Joby Talbot (score). The voice cast includes Matthew McConaughey (Buster), Reese Witherspoon (Rosita), Scarlett Johansson (Ash), Taron Egerton (Johnny), Bobby Cannavale (Mr. Crystal), Tori Kelly (Meena), Nick Kroll (Gunter), Pharrell Williams (Alfonso), Halsey (Porsha Crystal), Chelsea Peretti (Suki), Letitia Wright (Nooshy), Eric André (Darius), Adam Buxton (Klaus), Garth Jennings (Miss Crawley), Jennifer Saunders (Nana), Nick Offerman (Norman), Julia Davis (Linda Le Bon), and Bono (Clay Calloway).
AP (Jake Coyle): Sing 2 … packs the jukebox again with more than 40 songs, from BTS to Billie Eilish. … But writer-director Garth Jennings’ films are a little — a little, not a lot — more than a string of pop tunes strung together in a frenetic, sugary cartoon confection. The movies are about the collaborative, shambolic thrill of live performance. … It’s all amiable, shallow and occasionally sweet. … If any narrative thread holds the movie together, it’s each character dealing with their own version of anxiety, fear and stage fright as performers. While a laudable message for a kids movie, it’s drowned out by the movie’s commercialized blare. 2 stars out of 4.
Globe & Mail (Aparita Bhandari): The movie delivers on many levels. There’s the fun of seeing how pop songs make it into the thematic explorations. … There are several visual gags and funny lines. … Then, there are the power anthems. … Sing 2 does have its shortcomings. It works better if you’ve already watched the original, and know the narrative arcs of the characters. As a sequel, it doesn’t do much to give each character a chance to develop. And, given the number of songs worked into the script, there’s a music video quality to the film. If you’re looking for some lighthearted distraction from the worries of the world right now, however, give Sing 2 a shot.
Hollywood Reporter (Justin Lowe): One of the biggest surprises of Sing … was how well the cast’s musical performances came together. … If anything, Sing 2 exceeds that memorable accomplishment. … It falls to Ash to convince Calloway to emerge from self-imposed retirement. It’s in these few scenes between Johansson and Bono that writer-director Jennings’ script achieves a new level of emotionally driven storytelling for the franchise. … While Calloway’s decision may be a foregone conclusion, it’s in no way adequate preparation for the film’s finale, which reveals just how far Jennings has progressed in mastering the possibilities of animation.
New York Times (Amy Nicholson): Sing 2, a grasping sequel by the returning director Garth Jennings … is all glitz and no heart. … Buster stages a mega-musical spectacular that crossbreeds Cirque du Soleil with the old Pigs in Space sketch on The Muppet Show. There’s also a scattered plot that involves zip lines, snooty choreographers, disgruntled construction workers and an egomaniacal yak. At least the cover songs still have pep. A gorilla belts Coldplay, a slug raps Drake, and, in what passes for the emotional climax, Bono croons one of his own classics in character as a reclusive rock star lion who, in this parallel universe, wrote one of U2’s greatest hits.
Variety (Peter Debruge): If Sing 2 sounds like a shameless excuse for a bunch of celebrities to perform cover versions of Top 40 hits while animated animals lip-sync the lyrics for our amusement … well, that’s essentially what it is. … Illumination has engineered another easy-to-swallow confection designed to maximize audience delight … although this time, there’s almost zero nutritional value. … Sing 2 isn’t really about coherent storytelling so much as analyzing and anticipating what will make audiences feel good. … Sing 2 features some of the funniest and most fully rendered animation in the studio’s oeuvre to date. However, whereas Buster Moon refuses to settle for being second-rate, … Illumination evidently considers that the sweet spot.