Everyone has a dream and in Illumination Entertainment's new animated movie Sing, the dreamers are animals desperate for a shot at stardom. An American Idol-esque competition could provide it — if said animals could only get over the personal hurdles standing in their way.
Sing won't hit theaters until Christmas, but the new trailer provides enough reason to count down the days until its release. The premise of Sing revolves around animated animals, but it certainly wouldn't have to. The collection of wannabe singers deal with some very real, very human stuff. One character, a gorilla, declares that he doesn't want to be a part of his father's criminal gang — he just wants to sing, man. Another character — an edgy rocker porcupine — must strike out on her own when her boyfriend and bandmate gets cozy with another spiky-haired lady. And then there's the elephant, who can sing — her anxiety just won't allow her to do it in front of other people.
It's all so real and relatable, it's hard to remember that we're watching zoo animals deal with this tough stuff.
But that's a good thing — kids need to see inspiring movies that deal with the realities of the world. If telling a story of overcoming fears and coming into one's own in an animated package is how kids want to watch it, I say, all the better.