I’m “biast” (con): hated the first one
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Why Angry Birds 2? Because the first one made some money. Because there’s built-in name recognition thanks to the popular mobile game. That’s it. That’s the only reason.
This time out, the Birds That Don’t Fly (except by slapstick catapult) join forces with the enemy green pigs from another remote island — seriously, don’t ask — to repel an assault by the eagles of yet another island none of them knew about before. This assault is led by Zeta (the voice of Leslie Jones: Sing), for no apparent reason other than a jilted romance that left her angry and bitter. Just like a woman!
Angry bird Red (the voice of Jason Sudeikis: Booksmart) — still selfish and insecure, just like we want in a hero — will lead the charge, the entire purpose of which is, apparently, to prove that he should have, in fact, left all leadership duties to smart, capable Silver (the voice of Rachel Bloom). But never fear! Male-coded animated characters remain resolutely at the center of this painfully stupid faux-woke narrative, which wants to have its male protagonist and its nods to feminism at the same time.
Spoiler: There’s nothing progressive about an idiot male protagonist with no plan to save the day being assisted by the female character who could have just been the hero in the first place. No, not even if he eventually grudgingly acknowledges this. Nor is there anything amusing in Speedy bird Chuck (the voice of Josh Gad: A Dog’s Journey) policing his sister Silver’s romantic access to Red. Nor is it even remotely charming that the brilliant, awesome Silver does indeed end up falling for petulant, mediocre Red. It’s just more of the same garbage that sends appalling gendered messages to kids. They are listening, and they are absorbing, and they deserve better.
see also:
• The Angry Birds Movie movie review: what the shell?
In the US, the delightful short “Hair Love” precedes The Angry Birds Movie 2. It’s a little roller coaster of emotion, funny even about frustration, and at every moment full of a sweet joy about something seemingly mundane yet laden with significance. Backed by Kickstarter supporters and inspired by YouTube videos of African-American fathers doing their young daughters’ hair, filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry — who wrote and codirected with Everett Downing Jr. and Bruce W. Smith — has crafted a charming story about little Zuri, who has to wrangle her reluctant dad, Stephen, into helping her, for the first time ever, tame her unruly hair into a special style for a special day; Mom usually does this, but she’s not around today.
This is a wonderful celebration of natural black hair — some white people may not realize this has long been a vector along which black people have suffered discrimination, with many now championing natural hair — and a charming portrait of a lovely relationship between father and daughter. The poignant wallop it packs is wonderfully unforgettable. [There’s also a picture book! Amazon US|Amazon Canada|Amazon UK|iTunes all regions]
What about the short? I heard Hair Love was going to be the short with this and the little clip I saw of it looked good.
[Edited to add that…not that I wanted to see *this* movie.]
That short is not attached in the UK, and I didn’t see it.
That’s a shame.
I was able to get a screener of “Hair Love” and have now added a brief review of it here.
That review reads like you’d have given it a bright GREEN if it had its own article…any chance of linking a green light for the short to this without changing the red light for Angry Birds?
(I know, I know, I’m so fussy! I just really like the book and the clip I saw of this short. I have to poke around and find the whole short. I follow Cherry on Twitter and should probably check his links first. Happy to pay for it, even!)
That doesn’t feel right to me. I’ve never done anything like that in the past with shorts attached to features, and I don’t think it makes sense to start now. The short and the feature are entirely different entities.
I’m tempted to make a Dark Willow joke but since MaryAnn never watched that show and I hate explaining jokes, I won’t…
Man, talk about striking while the iron is hot. Would the theoretical audience of children even remember when this game was popular?
At this point it doesn’t matter. The popularity of the first movie is now all that matters.
They’re doing co-marketing with the Angry Birds 2 video game, even tho I’m 99% sure it has nothing to do with the movie, so they’ll also be getting a fresh audience of children playing the new game who want to see the movie.
What a ridiculous review. Bringing politics into a kiddo movie based on a video game. LOL!
This is like the Platonic Ideal of bad responses to reviews. No frills, no personality, just the most mindless dismissal possible.
It’s cute how you think stuff like this springs spontaneously from a vacuum.
Ok. I’ll make note of that, but I take exception to self-important “intellectuals” who thrive off the smell of their own farts.
And I take exception to the fish who is utterly incapable of seeing the ocean in which he swims.
I don’t personally know you, neither here or in real life, but you seem to have something against everything referred to as “he”, don’t you?.
I’ve read alot of your reviews. I’ve noticed your constant “try hard” use of words and analogies as well as “male berating” similes. this does not make you a credible “T R U E” feminist and while you may think it puts you on “equal” terms with males to try and make a point, it does neither of those things, instead it makes you look more like a sad miserable human being. Also, in regards to some words you use in some of your other reviews; Just as male actors are idolized for their “perfection” and not their talent, have a look around the music industry where you and your kind ( so called feminists with definitions always different from one feminist to another ) have a higher advantage and pedestal than your male counterparts due to your “perfection” and not your talent. I’m neither pro-feminist or anti-feminist, but seeing dumb people from both sides of the spectrum just makes me remember why we can’t have good movies because of you. Every movie that is remotely related to, or contains feminist agenda or “pseudo-feminism” as you state, is shit or at least ruined by all the shit that gets forced into the script to appease your itch to a dose of ” E Q U A L I T Y”.
Well, you got one thing right here: You don’t know me. At all.
LOL. This might be my new tagline. Love it.
A tip: You keep using quotation marks. They don’t mean what you think they mean.