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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Dan's Review: "The Angry Birds Movie 2" has kid appeal, not much else

Aug 13, 2019 04:28PM ● By Dan Metcalf

Peter Dinklage, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, Josh Gad, Rachel Bloom, and Awkwafina in The Angry Birds Movie 2 - © 2019 Sony Pictures.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 (Sony/Rovio)

Rated PG for rude humor and action.

Starring (voices of) Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Eugenio Derbez, Peter Dinklage, Beck Bennett, Zach Woods, Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Dove Cameron, Nicki Minaj, Brooklynn Prince, Genesis Tennon, JoJo Siwa, Maya Rudolph, Anthony Padilla, Tiffany Haddish, Colleen Ballinger, David Dobrik, Faith Urban, Sunday Urban, Alma Varsano, Gaten Matarazzo, Nolan North.

Written by Peter Ackerman, Eyal Podell, and Jonathon E. Stewart, based on the "Angry Birds" video game by Rovio Entertainment.

Directed by Thurop Van Orman.

GRADE: B-

REVIEW:

When The Angry Birds Movie was released in 2016, it held a unique distinction (for me) among every other movie based on a video game. I believe it was the only film of its kind (to that point) that stayed true to its source material. Yes, the entire plot surrounded the idea that nasty pigs steal birds’ eggs and the birds’ only recourse was to hurl themselves at the pigs via giant slingshots, which may work for a game you play on a smartphone, but not so much for a feature-length film. If they handed out film accolades for sticking to the source material, it would deserve any and all awards in such a category. Having exhausted the main point of the bird/pig struggle, the folks at Sony and Rovio (the Finnish software company that created the game) thought it was a good idea to churn out a sequel, so here we are with The Angry Birds Movie 2, in theaters this week.

It's the story of Red (Jason Sudeikis), a bird with anger management issues who was able to channel his rage for the benefit of the residents of “Bird Island,” defending them from the trickster pigs, known for stealing their eggs and other nasty practical jokes. As the pigs continue their harassment from “Pig Island,” a new common opponent emerges from “Eagle Island” where an unhinged bird named Zeta (Leslie Jones) uses an icy volcano to lob giant ice balls at birds and pigs alike. Pig leader Leonard (Bill Hader) proposes a truce with Red, and an alliance is formed to take down Zeta. The two enlist Red’s pals Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), along with Chuck’s brainiac sister Silver (Rachel Bloom). Leonard’s pig pals Courtney (Awkwafina) and Garry (Sterling K. Brown) also join the team. The rest of the film involves the team’s operation to stop Zeta and her minions from exacting revenge on the surrounding islands due to a failed relationship with Mighty Eagle, who left her at the marriage altar many years before.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 is an exercise in trying to desperately manufacture a coherent narrative that is of little value, with interspersed sight gags and potty humor scenes throughout. Some of the gags work, but most are superfluous distractions from a story that could be told in 5-10 minutes.

The charm of the birds and their truce with the pigs gets old fast and belies the fact that it’s still based on a simple video game with a new “twist” that contradicts the original premise. You’ve seen the birds and pigs battle it out, and now, their FRIENDS. Not that clever, but if you want a story void of conflict, this one is for you.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 will probably be a big hit with preteens and toddlers, impressionable to colors, silly animals, and cartoon violence, but the rest of us will do our best to make space in our memories for other more relevant things, like remembering to change the lint filter or where to find decent Tex-Mex on a weeknight.

"The Angry Birds Movie 2" Trailer