Director: Kyle Balda
Writer: Matthew Fogel
Cast: Steve Carrell, Taraji P. Henson, Pierre Coffin, and Alan Arkin
At 12 years old young Gru already knew he wanted to be a supervillain. When the most famous group of villains loses a member, the young man seizes the opportunity to join them. A disastrous audition sets the wheels in motion for a wild adventure that includes, robbery, kidnapping, shape-shifting, and ultimately a valuable lesson on loyalty and friendship.
Writer: Pat Casey
Director: Jeff Fowler
Cast: Ben Schwartz, Idris Elba, Tika Sumpter, Jim Carrey, and James Marsden
After almost a year exiled on the mushroom planet, the evil Dr. Robotnik returns to Earth. His return is made possible by an unlikely alliance with Knuckles, an echidna warrior. The duo set off to earth to fight a common enemy, Sonic the Hedgehog. As the evil dr and blood-thirsty echidna plot, his demise Sonic is faced with the challenges of being a superhero. Using his super-speed and otherworldly abilities responsibly aren’t easy, often resulting in mayhem and chaos.
Writer: Garth Jennings
Director: Garth Jennings
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlet Johansson, Tori Kelly, and Bono
After finding success in their hometown, Buster Moon and friends set their sights on bigger stages. Failing to impress a local scout, the crew set out for an ambitious adventure in the big city. Following a disastrous audition, luck shines on the Motley crew as they find themselves presented with the opportunity of a lifetime. Moon strikes a deal with a very rich, very dangerous, hotel owner to perform at his venue. All they have to do is create the biggest show of their lives, overcome lifelong fears and convince a reclusive rock star they have never met to come out of retirement after more than a decade of hiding. What could go wrong?
Sing 2 is the direct sequel to 2016’s Sing in which Buster Moon starts a singing competition in order to save his theater. Since then the world has changed in so many ways. While the first film was about finding your voice and being yourself, this 2nd installment takes a deeper dive into self-confidence, fear, and grief. Though those are much heavier concepts to address the film never strays from its silliness and age-appropriate humor. It’s been five years since the first film and in that time children have been tasked with overcoming so many obstacles and trials some of which are dressed in the film. Fear is a running theme as each of the returning characters has an overwhelming fear they must conquer to get ahead. From fear of failure to a fear of heights, the film is careful in its depiction of fears a how to deal with them. The film also delves into grief and how debilitating it can be. Clay Calloway the recluse rock star suffered a tragic loss that caused him to retreat into the shadows. Though a heavy subject for the children of 2016 it seems eerily appropriate considering the pandemic and the unfortunate losses many have had to bear. Though a great film to start a dialogue about somber subjects, it is NOT all heavy-handed teaching, the music the colors, the pace, and the humor keep even the tense moments light and palatable for children of all ages.
Writer: Jill Culton
Director: Jill Culton & Todd Wilderman
Cast: Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, and Sarah Paulson
Yi, a sad young girl comes face to face with an elusive magical Yeti. The defenseless beast called Everest escaped a laboratory and was desperate to return to his homeland. With the help of her two friends, Peng and Jin Yi take off on a harrowing journey to return Everest to his home atop one of the world’s tallest mountains.