Sing
Director: Garth Jennings
Screenwriter: Garth Jennings
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Tori Kelly, Taron Egerton, Nick Kroll
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Rated PG | 110 minutes
Release Date: December 21, 2016

Sometimes what looks good can end up being just slightly disappointing. In this case, Illumination’s Sing gives a very earnest effort through its well-intentioned story and an excellent collection of songs that spans generations and genres, but falls very short of being great through its lack of a narrative and inability to juggle the many subplots. Backed by a great ensemble of actors and singers, director Garth Jenning‘s animated film has all the makings of an Illumination Entertainment film, but fails to execute a great concept.

In Illumination’s latest film, Sing, Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey) is holding a singing competition in his dying theater in a last ditch effort to scrounge up the money needed before the bank can repossess his beloved property. The optimistic koala settles on five contestants: a mouse (Seth MacFarlane), a timid elephant (Tori Kelly), a pig (Reese Witherspoon), a gorilla (Taron Egerton), and a punk-rock porcupine (Scarlett Johansson), in hopes that they can generate the funds necessary to keep the theater afloat but also bring back interest in genuine talent. Little does he know that the road to success isn’t easy, but with a little hard work and some faith, it can be done.

We had a phone interview with the film’s director Garth Jennings (A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Son of Rambow) to talk about what it was like to get clearance for the songs, working on his first animated film, his reaction to all the positive buzz, and much more. Check it out below.

Universal has released the final trailer for Illumination Entertainment’s Sing.

From the writer/director Garth Jennings (Son of Rambow, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) and Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, the film is the sixth animation feature from the studio and features the voice talents of Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon, alongside Seth MacFarlane, Scarlett Johansson, John C. Reilly, Taron Egerton, and Grammy Award-nominated Tori Kelly. Check out the new trailer below.

The music from Guardians Of The Galaxy was one of the best things about the film. The infusion of 1970s and 1980s music was a refreshing break from the mundane Marvel scores. When director James Gunn announced the title of the sequel would be Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2, it just supported the fact that there would be a strong music vibe again. We got a hint of that when we heard “Come A Little Bit Closer” by Jay and the Americans and “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac during the film’s panel at the San Diego Comic-Con this summer.

Now with Doctor Strange just mere weeks away from release, Marvel and Disney can kick off their marketing campaign for Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 by releasing a poster, which looks like something straight off of a cover of an 80s or 90s punk rock band album cover. Check it out here below.

We’ve already seen a couple of impressive trailers for the wonderful looking Kubo and the Two Strings. The movie is a stop-motion animated feature from LAIKA Entertainment, makers of Coraline, ParaNorman, and The Boxtrolls. The movie stars Art Parkinson, Charlize Theron, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Brenda Vaccaro.

While trailers are exciting, it’s seeing what goes in to making these meticulous stop-motion films that’s most fascinating. Focus Features has released a new making of featurette for Kubo and the Two Strings called “Myth of Kubo.” You can check it out below.