Bird is the word in “Angry Birds Movie 2“; not least because these flamboyant fluff balls actually have a lot on their minds regarding unity and friendship in the new animated sequel to the based-on-an-app original film. When these rotund fowls first appeared on the big screen in 2016, the animated feature was a blast of energy in a lean summer season. In the sequel, the creative minds behind the film have outdone themselves, giving these feathered friends something to sing about.
Maybe this fresh take has something to do with the new crew behind the scenes. ‘Angry Birds 2’ is directed by first-timer Thurop Van Orman and co-written by Peter Ackerman, Eyal Podell, and Jonathan E. Stewart. Despite the new blood, the sequel revels in the same chaotic joy of the first film and the original game that inspired the franchise.
Birds and pigs are still at war. After having turned Leonard (Bill Hader) and his invading green pigs into bacon in the first outing, Red (Jason Sudeikis) has become a bit of a hero. Bird Island worships him, as he quickly became living proof that not all heroes wear capes–some wear feathers. In “Angry Birds Movie 2,” Red yearns for that chivalrous feeling, once again. Without a conflict to win or an island in need of protecting, the bird finds himself woefully average. He may not be human, but Red serves as a reminder that even the most heroic of figures have insecurities. Red finds himself no longer an angry bird but a worried warbler. The candy-colored island, with its swaying palm trees and empty blue skies, offers the newly-crowned day-saver nothing to do. That is until balls of ice start to fall from the sky, pointing to the impending arrival of an ice island and a new threat.
Led by a vengeful purple bird (voiced with finger-snapping sass by Leslie Jones), the eagles that live on this new land hope to claim the other two islands as their own by hurtling the aforementioned ice meteors at them. This leads Leonard to request an unlikely alliance with Red. The two team up–along with Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), and a plucky scientist named Silver (Rachel Bloom). From this point on, the action picks up, and the animated comedy earns its wings.
Through a variety of quality gags, with many being inspired by iconic films of the past, ‘Angry Birds 2″ provides some decent laughs. Thanks to a script that walks a fine line between stupid toilet humor and clever subversion of genre conventions; parents will leave with a smile and kids will leave with enough fecal jokes to quote for the rest of the day. Though some of the jokes have been made before (and better, in some cases), there’s enough meat under the feathers for audiences to care about the characters in the film.
The filmmakers have done an admirable job of making audiences root for a red bird with anger issues (does the island not have a single therapist?). All he wants is for people to like him, but what Red needs to learn is a lesson in unity. Birds of a feather flock and flourish together. It’s a vital message for Red and a lesson that seems to draw inspiration from a politically-divided America. Red does eventually learn his lesson, as it’s the only way this team of idiotic birds can take down Zeta, as well as her sidekicks; voiced by comedy veterans Tiffany Haddish and Awkwafina. The film should be lauded for these important messages, even if Orman is ripping a page out of Pixar’s textbook.
“Angry Birds Movie 2” fills the screen with flashy characters, appealing set pieces and a voice cast filled with lively voices. More than that, it benefits from a distinct narrative style. One second it’s focused on a spy adventure, the next the film is focused on a trio of hatchlings and their quest to save some eggs (the three chicks are voiced by the children of Viola Davis, Gal Gadot, and Nicole Kidman). Furthermore, for all its jarring, continuity editing and jumping from subplot to subplot, ‘Angry Birds 2’ is somehow more coherent than the first installment. By the end, everything and everyone (birds, pigs, and other animals) all brilliantly intersect in the finale. At the center of it all is Red, who carries the weight of the film on his animated shoulders. He may be a bird, but he still speaks our language. In this age of cash-grab sequels, that’s nothing to squawk at. [B-]