The Angry Birds Movie 2

The Angry Birds Movie 2

Starring Jason Sudeikis, Rachel Bloom, Bill Hader, Leslie Jones

Directed by Thurop van Orman

When the idea arose of making an animated film based on a mobile gaming app that pretty much no one has played in years arose, pretty much no one thought it was a good idea.  The result was "The Angry Birds Movie," which went on to surprisingly amass a worldwide total of over $352 million dollars on a budget of $73,000,000, so of course a sequel was inevitable.  While the sequel made less than the original ($147 million worldwide), it still made more than the production cost at $65,000,000, and surprisingly it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

As with most sequels, you get a story about former enemies banding together to take on an even bigger threat, and that's the basic premise of this film (along with a hilarious side story involving three young hatchlings trying to rescue their sisters - who are just eggs - and those are the characters I wouldn't mind having a spin-off, because they were the most hilarious parts of the film).  Red (Jason Sudeikis) was a former outcast but now hailed the hero of Bird Island for protecting it against the Pigs last film, and he's still basking in their glory, along with his friends Chuck (Josh Gad) and Bomb (Danny McBride).  They still get involved in a prank war with the Pigs, led by Leonard (Bill Hader), but it's pretty much harmless - until a giant ice ball lands close to Pig Island, but it wasn't thrown by the Birds.

Leonard discovers a third island - Eagle Island - led by Zeta (Leslie Jones), who wishes to leave the ice island and enjoy the sun and sand that the Pigs and Birds enjoy.  Leonard realizes he needs help taking her down, so he enlists his former enemy for help.  Together they form a ragtag group of Pigs and Birds including Chuck, Bomb, Chuck's intelligent sister Silver (Rachel Bloom), Leonard's young assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), and the Pigs' chief inventor Garry (Sterling K. Brown) to infiltrate Eagle Island, destroy the super weapon, and escape.

The film manages to be fun for kids and adults, something that animated films often have a problem doing, but if done right can be enjoyable for all.  The kids will love the bright colors, the action, and most of the comedy provided, while the adults will enjoy the story of the classic heist caper mixed with James Bond-like action as well as the other type of humor that'll go above the young ones' heads.  I was skeptical going in, but found myself adequately entertained through the short runtime and nonstop jokes and action.

The voice talent is also on point, as each character is given more than just a typical sequel storyline.  Red is worried that he'll loose the admiration of the Birds if he doesn't solve this problem alone, while Leonard yearns for the spotlight as well.  Chuck keeps a watchful eye on his sister, while Bomb is just happy to be along for the ride.  The newcomers also add a new dimension to the proceedings, as Silver becomes the glue that holds everyone together while also providing the most intellectual look at everything, while Courtney serves as your basic millennial and Garry is your typical snooty British inventor whose inventions aren't quite helpful.  Finally there's Leslie Jones, who voices Zeta with a no-nonsense attitude and manages to be a villain that's also likeable, someone who has very questionable motives but you understand why she would want to get away from the ice fortress she finds herself in (she can't even enjoy real cooked fish, even when she gets it thawed its stolen by a hilarious seal).

While the film didn't necessarily have to be on the big screen, "The Angry Birds Movie 2" is a fun little adventure that'll keep adults and children entertained, providing decent laughs and a fun action adventure.

The Score: B+