'Dream Big Dreams': Sing 2 Explains Why Failing Doesn't Mean Quitting

If you’re looking for a high-energy animation with lots of humor and singing in it, then Sing 2 is a pitch perfect movie for the whole family.

This time around, they carry nostalgic to trendy tunes that the whole family will be familiar with from U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name” to Billy Eilish’s “Bad Guy”.

Just like Sing 1, its predecessor, this movie centers on never giving up on your dreams even when the odds are not in your favor.

Sing 2 is about Buster Moon dreaming of making it in the biggest performance venue  there is – Redshore City. He then brings his talented crew of animals there to try their luck and stage a show at the glamorous Crystal Theater.

However, they can only perform there on one condition–get the recluse rockstar Clay Calloway to perform with them or else forget about making it in the big city at all.

Lessons we can all learn from Sing 2 characters

Sing 2 brings back all the characters we’ve all come to love from its prequel–and there’s a whole list of them.

There’s Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey)  as the leader of the pack and the determined koala bear; Rosita (Reese Witherspoon)  and Gunter as the endearing singing pigs; Ash (Scarlett Johansson) , the cool rockin’ porcupine; Meena the timid elephant with a golden voice; Johnny the ultra talented gorilla, and Ms. Crawly as the reliable iguana secretary of Mr. Moon.

Making the second movie a bit more exciting is the addition of two new singing characters, Porhsa Crystal the spoiled but talented wolf and daughter of the Crystal Theater owner, and Clay Calloway (voiced by Bono) the lonely lion who put being a rockstar at the back seat since his wife died.

That’s a lot of characters for one movie but somehow, it won’t be as funny, crazy, and diverse without everyone in it.

Each one literally has their own distinct talent and voice but beyond their amazing gifts are weaknesses that they have to overcome to be able to give their best performance on stage. We named seven characters whom we think make this sequel worth that buttered popcorn and time spent in front of the screen with the whole family. 

1. Buster Moon teaches resilience and determination.

‘Dream big dreams,’ as Mr. Moon always say and in this sequel he did just that and chased his big dream of performing in the entertainment capital of the world. With all the obstacles he had to face from day one from Mr Crystal, it would be easier to just quit but it so happens giving up is not in his vocabulary. After all, he was named Buster and bust obstacles to reach his dreams is what he does best.

2. Porsha shows how humility can usher success.

She is the spoiled daughter of Jimmy Crystal, the magnate and owner of the Crystal Theater where Mr. Moon dreams of staging a show. Because of her privilege, she bypasses Rosita, the star of the show, and takes the lead role instead.

She has a great voice but falls short on the acting. In the end, Mr. Moon manages to make her see that Rosita deserves to be the lead while she gets a role that fits her voice perfectly.

By being humble, she realized what a great balance she adds to the entire show.

3. Gunter demonstrates how being creative means being smart.

Piggy Power is back, thanks to Gunter’s unshakeable confidence in singing and dancing. He may not always be regarded as the most intelligent of the lot but he is ever reliable in a crisis like that time when his playful imagination managed to whip up a storyline on the spot that instantly gets the approval of Mr. Crystal, saving the whole crew from getting rejected from performing at the Crystal Theater.

4. Ash highlights the importance of kindness and encouragement.

Ash is one of the characters many kids look forward to in Sing 2 after giving everyone a blast with her cool attitude and punk rock singing voice in the prequel.

This time around, she goes more acoustic singing some of the most memorable tunes in the movie. She was the consistent voice of encouragement to Mr. Clay. “It’s okay, your songs will carry you. Just sing,” she tells the hesitant rockstar.

With her empathy and patience, she manages to convince Clay to finally perform with the group lending new energy to the show.

5. Rosita teaches courage that overcomes insecurities.

In Sing 1, she was the busy homemaker who sets aside her dreams of performing to take care of her big brood of piglets. In Sing 2, she confidently takes the stage playing the lead role in the musical but must first conquer her fear of heights.

On the day of her performance, she sees Mr. Moon being pushed from a platform and in that instant Rosita forgets her fear and jumps in to save her friend.

6. Clay Calloway teaches strength in dealing with loss.

Clay Calloway may be the most fearful character at the start but the movie makes everyone understand that it’s because of his deep sadness from losing his wife 15 years ago.

Through his character, young audiences can learn about grief and death and the effort that it takes to overcome the grips of sadness. With the encouragement of friends like Ash, Clay manages to get his confidence back, regain his energy through music, and, in the process, find a new set of friends.

7. Ms. Crawly shows that dedication can mean success.

You won’t see Ms. Crawly singing tunes but she sure brings a lot of comic relief to the movie. She is the iguana Mr. Moon can trust to enter the lion’s den (literally!) and convince the King of Rock to make a comeback on stage so the show can go on.

She loses an eye in the process but this doesn’t discourage her from entering other lion’s den to help Mr. Moon achieve his dreams. 

Watch the trailer here:

A Universal Pictures International release, Sing 2 will hit Philippine cinemas on February 23.