Sing
Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 21, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 37 Critic Reviews
Positive:
21
Mixed:
13
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistGregory EllwoodSep 11, 2016
When the big show finally happens at the end of the picture? You can’t help but smile. Read full review
80
EmpireChris Hewitt (1)Jan 23, 2017
Although it’s like being assaulted by a jumping jukebox for two hours, Garth Jennings’ first animated movie has enough bounce and brio to carry the day. Immensely likeable. Read full review
80
Time OutDave CalhounDec 21, 2016
The animation itself might not be the most inventive out there (this isn’t Pixar), but where Sing soars is in its one-by-one attention to its ensemble of beasts and its obvious passion for music: It’s nearly impossible to watch this film and not be humming the Beatles’ "Golden Slumbers" for days afterward. Read full review
80
New York Daily NewsEdward DouglasDec 14, 2016
This is the kind of movie "Trolls" set out to be and with this kind of innovation in animation, it succeeds on far more levels as well. There are just so many laughs to be had but there's also plenty of warmth with a lot of focus put on each contestant's family. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeSep 11, 2016
While there are no profound life lessons to be found in these subplots, Jennings and his cast manage to deliver a steady supply of laughs, while respecting one of Illumination’s core principles: It’s OK to be silly. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanDec 21, 2016
The movie comes off as Zootopia without social commentary or nearly as much imagination. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Kate TaylorDec 21, 2016
The main attraction here are the characters: well-observed animals of the zoo or the barnyard. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTom RussoDec 21, 2016
The result is entertainment whose pace and sound, while dizzyingly brisk at points, still accommodates characters and a setting that are terrifically rich — a menagerie more fully, memorably realized than “Zootopia.” Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comSusan WloszczynaDec 21, 2016
Its makers know all too well how to fully exploit the power of a catchy pop song. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle SmithDec 21, 2016
If (like me) you have a parental obsession with brainwashing your children to adore everything from Sinatra to “Shake It Off,” Sing may be your most effective weapon since “Happy Feet.” Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliDec 21, 2016
Most of Sing's creative energy was invested in the musical numbers and, fortunately, that's where it shines. But the film really can't go toe-to-toe with heavyweights "Zootopia," "Moana," "Dory" or even the little-seen but superior "Kubo." Read full review
75
ConsequenceBlake GobleDec 20, 2016
The presentation and little tweaks along the way make Sing far less grating than you’d expect. There are dozens of great moments, beats, and tunes. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldDec 20, 2016
It’s hard to get too excited about Sing, which takes a bit too long to travel its familiar path, but it’s also quite impossible to dislike it. Read full review
75
TheWrapSteve PondDec 19, 2016
When the characters hit rock bottom, the movie quietly gets more emotional and more sure-handed. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKatie WalshDec 20, 2016
It's a cute movie with genuinely funny moments (keep an eye out for the koala car wash), and some great tunes to boot. Read full review
70
Screen DailyDavid D'ArcySep 12, 2016
Sing is colourful, yet at almost two hours, it is also long. Still, if kids aren’t drawn to one singing animal (or familiar voice), there’s always another around the corner, holding up the tentpole. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie BaumgartenDec 21, 2016
The movie is cute but predictable. Read full review
63
St. Louis Post-DispatchJody MitoriDec 21, 2016
Sing is like a medley of pop hits. You get a bunch of quick samples but long for the full song. Read full review
63
USA TodayBrian TruittDec 21, 2016
In a year full of talking-animal hits, Sing isn't quite as strong a number. It's a tale that might not be particularly thought-provoking but sure is toe-tapping. Read full review
63
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanDec 20, 2016
Sing ends, predictably and without straining, on a high note, with everybody’s problems resolved. If only real life could so easily be realigned, by a singing pig. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter TraversDec 20, 2016
Sing doesn't have the grit or the grace notes of Zootopia, which it resembles only in its concept of an animal kingdom. Read full review
60
We Got This CoveredMatt DonatoFeb 2, 2017
Sing runs on some serious super-piggy performance power, even if the emotional notes are expected. Read full review
60
CineVueMatthew AndersonFeb 2, 2017
There is something reassuring and enjoyable to the familiarity of such a joyous, uplifting and uproariously funny affair and it must be said that the vocal talents of those on show is quite remarkable Read full review
60
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottDec 21, 2016
The sum total is no more filling than the popcorn you'll overpay for upon entering the theater. But, like that popcorn, Sing has empty-calorie, crowd-pleasing appeal. Read full review
60
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzDec 21, 2016
Sing is like an album with a good song here and there, but too much filler and not enough hits Read full review
60
New York Magazine (Vulture)Sarah MillerDec 20, 2016
You’re either someone who didn't like American Idol at all or you’re someone who loved it and and believe the concept could only be improved upon with the addition of talking cartoon animals. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinSep 12, 2016
Illumination’s latest plays to the company’s strengths, with inventive character and background design, hyper-rendered animation that pushes the technology envelope, especially in the realm of lighting and cute sight gags. But just as with, for example, The Secret Life of Pets or Minions (and let’s not even go there with Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax), storytelling remains the outfit’s weak spot. Read full review
60
The GuardianJordan HoffmanSep 12, 2016
God, it’s so obnoxious. And the worst thing is that it works. I was smiling and applauding at the end, then I had to take a long walk alone to wonder what was wrong with me. Read full review
50
The New York TimesGlenn KennyDec 20, 2016
The aggregate effect is like aesthetic insulin shock, albeit from an artificial sweetener. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubDec 20, 2016
Sing is a tribute to struggling live theater. Read full review
42
The Film StageChelsey GrassoDec 19, 2016
The one thing it’s missing — and perhaps the most important quotient – is any real sense of chemistry. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerDec 19, 2016
It turns out that Sing’s myriad irritations are a lot more eclectic than its long, long playlist of pop hits. Read full review
40
The TelegraphFeb 2, 2017
This really is a film in which the creative thinking seemed to start and stop at ‘wouldn’t it be funny if a pig wore a leotard’, and any attempt to inject its aspartame bonhomie with some kind of greater significance feels like trying to push an uncooked sausage through Kevlar. Read full review
40
TimeStephanie ZacharekDec 19, 2016
It jumps around from song to song, and from plot point to plot point, unable to trust in the attention spans of modern children, or even just modern human beings. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreJan 3, 2017
Buy the kids the soundtrack, skip the movie. Read full review
38
Slant MagazineKenji FujishimaDec 16, 2016
In Sing, musical theater is simply an excuse for the filmmakers to deliver an animated version of American Idol. Read full review
16
IndieWireDavid EhrlichDec 16, 2016
Sing is the Platonic ideal of an Illumination movie. It’s a profoundly soulless piece of work that shines a light on the mediocrity they foist upon the children of the world. Read full review
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