(CNN)Like the archetypal movie 5 years ago, "Sing 2" mostly works connected divided levels, offering a jukebox assortment of fashionable songs that parents volition recognize, and having cute animated animals loop them retired to divert children. The effect is simply a breezy workout successful karaoke for kids, wherever the soundtrack beats the movie and a batch of stars again lend their voices to the chorus.
The halfway players stay mostly the same, with koala carnivore impresario Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey, whose caller bully vocation decisions see not singing oregon running for politician of Texas) betting connected his quality to motorboat an elaborate signifier amusement successful Redshore City, which looks a full batch similar Las Vegas.
Unfortunately, the ruthless casino mogul (Bobby Cannavale) who runs the spot insists that Buster onshore the information of an aging rock-star lion (Bono), who has fundamentally go a hermit, arsenic a information of bankrolling the production, conscionable 1 of the galore hurdles that Buster and his pals encounter.
In summation to Bono, legit philharmonic stars Pharrell Williams and Halsey articulation returning formed members Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, and Nick Kroll, with writer-director Garth Jennings reprising that relation arsenic well.
Still, the existent prima of "Sing" is the music, and the producers person seemingly spared nary disbursal connected that score, with a roster of tunes that see U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name" (Bono's determination for a reason) arsenic good arsenic "Let's Go Crazy," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Higher Love," "I Say a Little Prayer" and more.
The animation is colorful, with the protracted amusement -- mounted nether sizeable duress -- accounting for a sizable chunk of the movie.
It's bare calories, and a highly calculated philharmonic sweetener rush. Still, this franchise from Illumination (the outfit down "Despicable Me" and "Minions") doesn't truly aspire to beryllium thing much than fun, and connected the astir basal level, delivers conscionable capable of it, particularly for the pre-puberty demo.
Besides, for parents who wince astatine their tykes' philharmonic tastes, it's astir apt a nationalist work introducing kids to immoderate of the songs with which their moms and dads grew up, each wrapped successful a bright, anthropomorphic package.
"Sing 2" premieres Dec. 22 successful US theaters. It's rated PG.
English (US) ·