For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A bunch of odd ball characters with dreams of their own, looking to a seize gratification via an award show. It sounds familiar, because isn't that all of us. To seek to be someone who we want, rather than the misalignments that life leads us to be.I thought the show had plenty of opportunities to create actual dialogue, and to present actual problems in life, that one has to overcome, and to understand that not everything goes according to plan, but yet is what you make of it.One of such scenarios was of the elephant being made a stagehand, rather than allowed to compete on the show. It was a good chance to diverge and look into conditions that one might face in such situations, and how one could go about it- but in the next moment, the camel got hospitalised, she got a part in the show, and everyone is a-okay once more.You might argue that it's just a children's show, but than again, so are the movies from pixar, and in those movies, you actually walk away learning something precious.

Buster Moon, seeking to save his failing theatre, stages a talent contest. The competitors include dancing housewife Rosita, teenage delinquent Johnny, undervalued songwriter and ace guitarist Ash, cocky crooner Mike, shy songstress Meena etc. And each of these has personal and domestic issues to be resolved.A synopsis makes it clear that there is very little originality here as regards story. This sort of tale dates back to the 1930s, to early sound musicals with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. And even though the characters' assorted problems can be viewed as more modern - Johnny's Dad is a bank robber, Rosita's husband undervalues her, Mike is tied up with organised crime - they still won't come as a surprise to any adult who has watched films since childhood.But let's factor in that these characters are all anthropomorphised animals, and that this is a CGI movie with kids as its primary audience, and the familiarity of its plot becomes considerably less important.Since marvelling at Toy Story, and then Shrek, there have been so many CGI features that one can more or less take it as read that character and product design, animation and voicework will all be first rate, and that is the case here - one expects accomplishment, and a film which falls short in these areas is far more noteworthy than one which doesn't. So we can take it as read that Sing - largely put together by the French Despicable Me production company - is as visually striking as we would expect it to be.Where it succeeds is in the musical numbers, both in how they are staged, and in how emotionally they are integrated into the narrative. I'm a sucker for music which grips me by the throat, either in its own right or by reference to how it is presented, and a lot of the music here does just that. I'm not going to give examples because, if this movie is your sort of thing, then I don't want to spoiler any of the delights in store for you.The music, from across the musical spectrum, is well-chosen and well-used, whether in its or original form or as rearranged. I had never realised that Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight was so sad.So don't see it if you hate musicals, CGI, or movies with no surprises. But if you're OK with all that, you'll love it.

Simply outstanding(!) and far better than what professional critics and amateur reviewers say. It's really one the best animated films of the decade. If you don't want a musical but prefer superhero fighting, ok, it's not for you. But in terms of originality, laughter and songs, this is the best animated film. I've seen probably more films than most critics and seen the best, so trust me on this. I will go through some critics points which I don't think are valid.1. Originality and moral theme: Sing has multiple storylines and they move quickly so it's hard to focus on one moral line like the Lion King or Monsters, Inc. But each story has a terrific line which are not necessarily trite cliches. For one, Rosita is an overwork mother pig with a ridiculously large family. Frankly, I have never seen a story line like that since one of those movies from the 1960s or earlier (e.g, Yours, Mine and Ours). But it's a funny take on a multi-tasking mom who wants a life outside homemaking. Meena is the shy elephant who can sing but is afraid...I don't know any movies that carry that story line unless one means the reality shows where we find a Susan Boyle or two. I have not seen a Buster Moon dreamer in a movie in a long time. You could compare the storylines to one of those 70s movies on dancing but this is different. Ash fires quills when she sings, Buster acts as a carwash mop, Ms Crawly is always losing her glass eye. Tell me you have seen all that in other movies. I'm sorry critics. This is a very original film. And the storylines are terrific: overcoming fear, shyness, learning to stand on your own (from your boyfriend), learning not to just be an overworked mom, trying to face up to your dad, live up to your dad, dream. I could stop there, but I wonder what people missed?2. Humor: people seriously thought it wasn't that funny? Miss Crawly's glass eye? Buster Moon and the moon? Gunter dancing? Rosita in the supermarket? The baboon Mike attacks? Buster wakes up in...? It has far too many funny moments, almost nonstop especially with some characters.3. Songs: it's a unique film since Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlance, Tori Kelly join up with Jennifer Hudson, Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande...and the songs are terrific.Aside from that, the animation and direction were terrific, as good as any animated film. The characters, squids and the flood were exemplary in outstanding animation.Ok, the plot was relatively simple even with the running storylines. If you don't like to laugh, don't want to hear a great soundtrack and songs, and a fast-paced movie, then this isn't for you.

In a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario's attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists' find that their lives will never be the same.You might think with a soundtrack loaded with popular songs, and a cast of voices that are some of the biggest names out there... this would be huge. And surely many people like it. The toddler who watched it with me seemed to enjoy it.But it just did not seem to often anything more than the same old thing. Unlike "Zootopia", it gives us this world of humanoid animals without really giving us any reason or logic behind the world. I would love to know why the British gangsters were represented by gorillas. What does this symbolize?