The smart phone video gaming sensation, Angry Birds, came to the big screen in 2016. It was mildly successful, box office wise. Audiences are set to head back to the warring islands of birds and pigs for The Angry Birds Movie 2, out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download. As is the case with most animated movies that come home, the magic behind the movie, i.e. those bonus features, is what drives the awesomeness here.
Remember that old saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Well that sentiment comes to life in the latest from Sony Pictures Animation. Eagle Island has launched giant ice balls towards both Pig Island and Bird Island and the two must join forces to stop this new isle from destroying everything and taking everything over.
If you had the occasion to check out the first film, Red (Jason Sudeikis) was a no good, well, Angry Bird. Nobody in his community cared for him, and the feeling was kind of mutual. He, of course, rises to the occasion and saves the day and now everyone on Bird Island adores him. As The Angry Birds 2 commences, Red’s face is everywhere … and he loves the attention after years of being shunned for being so … well, angry. After all, those pesky pigs tried their best to ruin Red’s island—led by Leonard (Bill Hader).
The sequel immediately illustrates the island’s utter adoration for Red, and he clearly adores himself too. Pigs and birds are still, literally, lobbing pranks at each other with their giant sling shots. I must admit, some of those are pretty funny. After Leonard and Red discover that they must work together to stop the expansionist/revenge plot Eagle Island’s, Zeta (Leslie Jones), there are some bumps in the road—to say the least. Their relationship is the least of their concerns. The peril that falls from the air on their two abodes is coming in hot. We also learn that Debbie (Tiffany Haddish) and her cohorts are concluding work has a super weapon that will make those flying ice balls seem like Nerfs.
The vocal performances by all involved is stellar. They are the main reason to see this film. Led by Sudeikis, who was born to be Red, and Hader—who was born to be Leonard. The entire endeavor should be used as a demo reel for how to capture the essence of an animated character and to wring every drop of animated reality out of these birds, pigs and eagles.
Hader loses himself in the role that if you did not know it was him going in, you’d be driving yourself crazy all night trying to discern who that was as the leader of the piggies. The Saturday Night Live veteran has always been an enormous voice actor, just watch Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and its sequel for proof of that. Sudeikis, meanwhile, has an utter blast nailing every emotional nuance of this insecure character and the audience completely understands why he is the way he is—all from Hader’s fellow SNL star’s performance.
Supporting those two leads are returning favorites such as Josh Gad as Chuck, Danny McBride is explosive as Bomb. Maya Rudolph’s take on Matilda will have you waltzing (Google it!), while Peter Dinklage’s Mighty Eagle is in many ways the key to this entire story and the Game of Thrones actor (who deserved an Oscar nod last year for his sensational performance in I Think We’re Alone Now) dazzles his way through another gem of an acting effort.
Joining the cast is Sterling K. Brown, as the This is Us breakout (who also is stellar in another voice acting performance in Frozen II) goes geek for a great turn as Garry. Rachel Bloom (My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) is unreal as Silver, aka Chuck’s sister. Her and Red have the best repartee in the entire flick. What she brings to the role is such spark, I kept thinking its best she stays as far away from Bomb as possible, if you know what I mean?! The she’s everywhere thespian, Awkwafina, has a blast as Courtney, one of Leonard’s lieutenant. Another who seems to be everywhere, Haddish continues her seemingly never-ending hot streak as Debbie while Eugenio Derbez (recently seen in Dora and The Lost City of Gold) rocks us once again in her tackling of Glenn, another Zeta charge.
Robert Downey Jr. famously said that a movie that pits “good” versus “bad” is only as good as its villain. What Jones brings to the purple Eagle Zeta is nothing short of a mesmerizing movie miracle. She is the perfect foil for Sudeikis and Hader, as the trio of titanic talents do a dance that takes all of their innate gifts to make the film infinitely more watchable than the script they’re given.
Angry Birds 2 is much more watchable than the 2016 first film. That being said, there is just an enormous amount of difficulty separating the fact that this is a smart phone video game made into a movie. It is one where screenwriters appear to be grasping at straws to piece together a coherent narrative that fits the tenor of the blockbuster game while staking out its own claim on the entertainment spectrum.
Hey, I do not have anything against video games becoming feature films. There are numerous efforts that shine, most recently and notably, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. Of course, that was a great script and a beloved character within rich and layered world. Angry Birds is basically tossing a bird or something else and launching it at structures that you need to destroy. There is not much to work with, creatively plot-wise, if that’s your starting point.
During the film, my attention drifted to places far and wide and none of it centered on these Angry Birds. There’s a whole lot of vocal talent up on that screen that at least made the experience interesting from an appreciator of thespian arts point of view.
The bonus features are loaded with fresh content that is supremely entertaining, more so than the movie itself. There are seven, that’s right … seven, new mini movies, three behind-the-scenes featurettes and the timeliest of singalongs!
I’m going to start the look at the bonus features with an extra that I’ve never seen on any previous home video animated/family friendly feature. DIY Fun! Puts three craft projects front and center for parents and their kiddos to make something fresh and new, all inspired by the movie magic just witnessed. There’s a three-minute look at how to make some delicious popcorn balls. Its moniker is priceless—Hangry Birds: Popcorn Balls. This house does everything we can to avoid the hangry monster and we’re glad to see we’re not the only one who utilizes that perfectly crafted word. Hungry + Angry = Hangry. Secondly, there’s a little science project that will enthrall all your aspiring STEM students with Smarty Birds: Crafty Volcano. Lastly, there’s one that all kids who love something that lives on the disgusting side of the street (which is most kiddos, am I right?!), Crafty Birds: Pig Snot!
Animators are always doing their research to ensure the authenticity of the characters and storylines they are crafting. The crew behind Angry Birds went Bird Watching and we luckily get to go along in the ten-minute featurette that spotlights the real birds at the LA Zoo and how they inspired those we see doing their thing on the screen.
Meets the New Birds & Pigs is a much better than your usual “meet the new characters” featurette as it not only lets us in on who’s who in the sequel, but also (and most importantly) the voice artists behind them—adding priceless layers to the mindset of each character.
Speaking of fresh characters, Hatching the Hatchlings dives into those adorable Hatchlings and their role in the film.
The token “making-of” featurette is eleven-and-a-half minutes of insight into exactly how one takes a smart phone video game and bring it to life cinematically. For me, and I love when home video behind-the-scenes shorts achieve this: The bonus feature ups the appreciation of the entire movie itself. After seeing the mental processes undertaken by the filmmakers and the voice talents as the film moved from concept to cinema, the Angry Birds 2 overall experience is altered. Flocking Together: Making The Angry Birds Movie 2 also delves deeper into Red’s arc in the tale, the crafting of the new baddie and includes a fascinating look at the visual design choices made by filmmakers.
Just in time for Turkey Day, Happy Thanks-Pigging! is a featurette that recalls another animated film (Free Birds) as it finds our favorite Angry Birds hoping that people eat something other than their avian friends for Thanksgiving. Speaking of holidays, Jingle Birds delights as the cast belts out the holiday classic song with a take that is uniquely Angry.
Lastly, those mini-movies are all a can’t miss and they are: Take Your Kids to Work Day, Hatchlings! Mother’s Day, Hatchlings! Father’s Day, Early Hatchling Gets the Worm, Hatchlings! Easter and Hatchlings! Holiday. Sense a theme here? These bonus features seem to keenly be aware that they’re offering something entertaining for parents and kiddos for a bevy of holidays.
Film Grade: C+
Bonus Features: B