'Sing': A colourful and light entertainer (IANS Review, Rating: ***)

Film: "Sing"; Director: Gaarth Jennings; Voices of: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Saunders, Jennifer Hudson, Peter Serafinowicz, Nick Kroll, Jay Pharoah, Leslie Jones, Nick Offerman, Beck Bennett; Rating: ***

The 3D computer-animated "Sing" is the latest offering from the studio that gave us the "Despicable Me" franchise, "Minions" and "The Secret Life of Pets". But unlike all these earlier films which sprang from original ideas, "Sing" seems to have been inspired from TV shows, that hunt for a singing idol.

Just like in Disney's "Zootopia", the cinematic universe in "Sing" is populated by anthropomorphic creatures and hence, instead of human singing participants, we have a variety of interspecies brought together to participate in the biggest singing contest in the world.

The narrative starts off with introducing us to Buster Moon, an elegant Koala bear -- a passionate theatre owner -- who would do anything to let his theatre stay afloat. The singing contest is his last, optimistic and determined effort to save him and his theatre from disappearing into oblivion.

What adds to the thrill of this plot is an error by his faithful secretary, the one-eyed wizened old iguana Miss Crawly (Garth Jennings), and the personal challenges of every singer shortlisted by Moon.

The candidates include; Meena (Tori Kelly) a painfully shy elephant who is coaxed by her grandfather (Jay Pharoah) to step out and make a mark for herself, Johnny (Taron Egerton) a teenage gorilla who wants to break free from his family who indulge in bank robberies, Ash (Scarlett Johansson) whose acceptance onto the show creates a rift between her and her boyfriend Lance (Beck Bennett), Rosita (Reese Witherspoon) a wannabe singer who is bogged down with looking after her 25 piglets and her burdened-with-work husband and Mike (Seth Mac Farlane), the busker mouse with an attitude.

The voices of the ace star cast, lend the right amount of dramatics to the characters.

The songs and gags are scattered.

Visually, the film is exciting. The animation is spectacular with all animals faithfully created, looking appealing and truly alive. Also, each frame is vibrant and colourful. The action sequences add that extra punch to the narrative.

With a lame and tired plot, packed with a number of songs -- mostly just snippets or phrases -- make the viewing frustrating. The goofy dialogues offer profound life lessons that are either motivational or speak of family values.

Overall, the film is a light entertainer that will wow children and adults alike.

--IANS

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