Movie Review

Sing serves up a heap of mindless, soulless entertainment

It has become readily apparent over the years that no other American animated movie studio is willing to challenge Disney when it comes to making films with complex emotions. Notwithstanding the occasional one-off movie, the other studios are content to stay within the fun/adventure mode, rarely approaching anything that resembles anger or sadness.

Many films have succeeded doing just that, but the problem comes when a film focuses purely on surface storytelling, trying to force fun without actually engaging with its characters. That’s the biggest failing of Sing, a movie that’s designed to make you feel good through song, yet can’t do it because it never makes you care about its characters.

Those characters include Buster Moon (Matthew McConaughey), a koala who comes up with the idea for a singing competition to save his failing historic theater. Among the ones attracted by the contest are pig Rosita (Reese Witherspoon), mouse Mike (Seth MacFarlane), porcupine Ash (Scarlett Johansson), elephant Meena (Tori Kelly), and gorilla Johnny (Taron Egerton), among others.

And that’s basically all there is to the film. Writer/director Garth Jennings gives some insight into the personal lives of each main character, but he ping-pongs between each of them so much that nothing ever really sticks. It’s a manic kind of storytelling where they seem to be telling you a lot, but you actually learn nothing at all.

The songs are obviously what the movie hinges on, but here too the movie falls down on the job. They're a mishmash of genres and time periods, assigned to characters with little thought as to why they should be singing that particular song. Unlike the recent Trolls, which integrated pop music into to its story to a fantastic degree, Sing throws out songs as throwaway gags, just hoping to get some kind of reaction.

Its use of a variety of animal characters also makes it pale in comparison to another recent animated movie, Zootopia. In that film, each species, despite walking and talking like a human, had distinct animal characteristics that made it more fun and interesting. In Sing, having the characters be animals makes no logical sense in the context of the film. Aside from making them extra cute or scary as the case may be, they rarely act like animals; having them be humans would have worked equally as well.

The voice actors work well for the most part, although, as usual, the use of big-name actors adds little of substance to the film. But having actors who can actually sing or, like Kelly, be an actual singer, at least serves to make their performances enjoyable. If only the rest of the film lived up to those abilities.

It’s obvious that the makers of Sing viewed the film as mindless entertainment for families during the Christmas holidays. Audiences deserve much more than that; don’t waste your time with this forgettable film.

Taron Egerton plays Johnny in Sing.

Taron Egerton in Sing

Photo courtesy of Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures

Taron Egerton plays Johnny in Sing.

Weekend Event Planner

These are the 11 best things to do in Dallas this New Year's weekend

Shen Yun 2026

Photo courtesy of Shen Yun

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The holiday hangover is real when it comes to events, as very few new events will be taking place over New Year's weekend. Choices include New Year's Eve celebrations, a music festival, a big college football game, a family New Year's event, three comedians, two local theater productions, the annual return of a Chinese dance troupe, and the final days of holiday-themed events.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this New Year's weekend. If you want more options, check out the calendar for an even longer list of the city's best events.

Wednesday, December 31

New Year's Eve celebrations
There are plenty of options acoss Dallas to celebrate the end of 2025 and beginning of 2026. We've helpfully compiled 12 of the most interesting ones on this list; head to our calendar to see more choices. Here are some special NYE dinners, and here's a list of restaurants open for brunch the following day.

Lights All Night
Electronic music fans will once again get to bring in the New Year with a variety of acts performing at Dallas Market Hall. The two-day event, which started on Tuesday, will wrap up on Wednesday with performances by Illenium, Porter Robinson (DJ set), RL Grime, Ayybo, Odd Mob, Jackie Hollander, Grabbitz, Maddy O'Neal, and Skellytn, among others.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
The annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic will also serve as a quarterfinal game in the 2025 College Football Playoff. After a first-round win by the No. 10 seed Miami Hurricanes over Texas A&M, they will take on the No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes at AT&T Stadium. The winner will move on to play either Georgia or Ole Miss at the Fiesta Bowl on January 9.

Thursday, January 1

Vogel Alcove presents 11th Annual Day 1 DFW
The 11th Annual Day 1 DFW is a family-friendly celebration packed with activities, live entertainment, and games that serve a heartwarming purpose. Taking place at Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, visitors can enjoy a variety of food options available at the concession stands or in the Irving Convention Center Café.

Friday, January 2

Punch Line Irving presents Andy Huggins
The area's newest comedy club will welcome one of the oldest working comedians today, Andy Huggins, who has been performing stand-up for 45 years. He has opened for acts ranging from Ray Charles to Jeff Foxworthy. His 2024 debut special, Early Bird Special, can be seen on Amazon Prime and King of The One-Liners on Don't Tell Comedy has been viewed by over 3 million people. He'll perform three times through Saturday at Punch Line Irving.

Improv Addison presents Dustin Nickerson
A Seattle native now suffering in Southern California, Dustin Nickerson describes himself as “the world’s most average person” but is far from it when on stage. He brings audiences into his life through his jokes about the struggles of parenting, marriage, and being generally annoyed by most people. In 2020, he released his debut comedy special, Overwhelmed. Nickerson also has a podcast, Don’t Make Me Come Back There, and a book, How to be Married to Melissa. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Addison.

Improv Arlington presents Finesse Mitchell
Finesse Mitchell is a multi-faceted actor, author, and stand-up comedian who entered the comedy scene with appearances on BET’s Comic View and Comedy Central. In 2003, he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live. Mitchell has four one-hour comedy specials under his belt, including Slightly Offensive in 2025. He also produces a weekly podcast, Understand This with Finesse Mitchell. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.

NTPA Repertory Theatre presents A Chorus Line
A Chorus Line is a concept musical capturing the spirit and tension of a Broadway ensemble audition. Exploring the inner lives and bittersweet ambitions of professional Broadway performers, the show features one powerhouse number after another, including “What I Did for Love,” “One,” “I Can Do That,” “At the Ballet,” “The Music and the Mirror,” and “I Hope I Get It.” The production serves as the annual NTPA Alumni show, performed by alums from NTPA youth theatre who have graduated and are now pursuing college or careers. There will be four performances through Sunday at North Texas Performing Arts in Plano.

Pocket Sandwich Theatre presents The Final Adventures of Hercules
The Final Adventure of Hercules is a melodrama of mythic proportions that promises gods, monsters, and more drama than Zeus at a family reunion. Audience participation is mandatory (popcorn-throwing encouraged, lightning bolts optional). The production will open with a special performance at Pocket Sandwich Theatre's Second Chance New Year's Bash on Friday, where guests are encouraged to dress like a legend in togas or other mythical best to welcome in ... January 3. The production runs through February 14 at Pocket Sandwich Theatre in Carrollton.

Saturday, January 3

Shen Yun
Shen Yun's unique artistic vision expands theatrical experience into a multi-dimensional journey featuring one of the world’s most ancient and richest dance systems - classical Chinese dance - along with dynamic animated backdrops and all-original orchestral works. The dance troupe will perform three times through Sunday at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson, and then return through eight more performances during a two-weekend stay, January 17-25.

Sunday, January 4

Last chance for holiday events
Sunday will be the final day to participate in most of the holiday-themed events in and around Dallas, including Holiday at the Arboretum at Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Ice featuring Elf at Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Christmas at the Anatole at Hilton Anatole in Dallas, The Trains at NorthPark at NorthPark Center, The Light Park in Little Elm, Frisco, and Arlington, and Dallas Zoo Lights at Dallas Zoo, among others.

Shen Yun 2026

Photo courtesy of Shen Yun

Shen Yun will be at Eisemann Center for Performing Arts in Richardson, January 3-4 and January 17-25.

kids families festivals holidays music comedy theater dance event-planner

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