Sing 2 Early Access Screening

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2021-11-27)

SPOILERS: Please note, this review contains some information that some may feel spoils the film Sing 2 if you wish to remain unspoiled, please think about skipping the review.

Tonight in North America there was a special preview of Sing 2 shown in many cities. It’s a single showing, done a month in advance of the main opening, which will be December 22, 2021.

The movie was fun. At an hour and fifty minutes it went by quickly. The plot didn’t require much backstory of the characters, and as someone who did not see the original film, I had no issues keeping track of what was going on. The story follows a set of characters who are trying to go beyond their small little theatre, and want to break in to showbiz at a bigger level. They head to the animated version of Las Vegas for a try out, and pitch their idea for a show.

We’re all here because of the lion in the room though aren’t we? Bono. He first appears about an hour into the film. As a character, he is not one of the leads in the film, but he does have a big impact on the film as a legendary character that is spoken of often in the first part of the film. He plays a more serious character in the film as opposed to some of the characters that are there to get a laugh. We’ve seen a considerable amount of Bono’s role through the trailers and advance footage of the film.

“Where the Streets Have No Name” is featured early in the film, sung by the characters as they pitch their ideas. “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” is sung by Scarlett Johannson’s character as she attempts to convince Bono’s character to join the crew. Of note, in the Sing 2 universe these songs are Clay Calloway’s songs that he is known for and that he sings. “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” comes during the crew’s performance on stage, and comes with quite an emotional tug on the audience. The song opens with Johannson singing alone on stage, and as we’ve seen in the trailer, it is hearing the crowd sing his songs that bring Clay to the stage after much hesitation. Bono’s vocals join Johannson for the back half of the song in a fun arrangement of the song, which will feature on the soundtrack album as will the other songs mentioned.

Of surprise to me was “Your Song Saved My Life”. Tipped to be over the final credits, it comes in at the end of the film. It does not however wait for the credits. Instead it is the last song prior to the credits starting. The characters are still interacting, and the film still hasn’t ended. In the context of the film, the song gains additional meaning and really fits in well.

The song does not play all the way through, and is interrupted after the third verse of the song. When the song returns, it’s skipped a few verses, and we can hear The Edge coming in on backing vocals. The additional verse that appeared in a promotional release recently is not in the film. At the end of the U2 song the film fades out to the credits.

Overall an enjoyable film, and it was fun to see Bono doing something outside of his normal. The kids may not get all the nuances of what is going on with Bono in the film, he adds a bit of a story line for the adults who are in tow for the film. The film will introduce several U2 songs to a new audience who likely wouldn’t have heard them otherwise. I’m sure there will be a few who want their own Clay Calloway toys as well. And I definitely gained a new appreciation for U2’s new song.

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