The Angry Birds Movie 2 – A Less Angry Sequel

The original Angry Birds Movie was a somewhat successful animated tie-in to the popular mobile game series, Angry Birds. While a sequel seemed unlikely, here we are three years later with The Angry Birds Movie 2. Will the somewhat memorable characters from the original film still resonate and do Angry Birds still matter as the mobile game series is no longer as popular as it once was? The answer to the latter question is irrelevant as the series has transcended its source material and its bright color and cutesy characters are now the draw and for that, the film succeeds wholeheartedly. In terms of animated kids films, it may not revolutionize the genre, however, it survives on plenty of charm and cuteness while offering just enough for kids and the parents taking them to the movie theatre.

Just like in the original, The Angry Birds Movie 2, saw Red (Sudeikis) and the birds of Bird Island continue their battle against Leonard (Bill Hader) and the pigs of Pig Island in a never-ending prank battle. This sequel would expand the film world as it offers more insight into the inner-workings of both islands and its diverse inhabitants. While this film introduces several new interesting characters, the focus was still on the returning Red, Chuck (Gad), Bomb (McBride), and Leonard. This sequel, as a whole, was not nearly as angry as the original which was fine. The epitome of the original’s anger, Red, was a different bird this time around as he would have to consolidate his new position on the island with his own insecurities.

Instead of being a rehash of the original film, the story of The Angry Birds Movie 2 takes a much different turn as it became a heist film of sorts after the birds and the pigs were forced to join forces to take on a new threat in the form of a bitter eagle named Zeta (Leslie Jones). Little did the birds and pigs know, there was a less favorable third island populated by eagles, obviously named Eagle Island. Suffice it to say that Zeta and the eagles were not interested in living there any longer and wanted to work towards finding somewhere warmer to live. Something had to give. The team-up part of the story and the resulting clashing of personalities was entertaining to watch and created some hilarious moments. Though the film’s humor may be lowbrow, it worked more often than not.

In the end, The Angry Birds Movie 2 is a kids film so it will always have a sense of predictability which is fine. The story, humor, and overarching lessons may not be new by any means but these facts were easy to overlook because it was so fun to watch and makes use of its running time. Meanwhile, a simultaneous subplot involving hatchlings was slightly better than the main story and will surely kill many audiences with its overwhelming cuteness, perhaps setting up a spin-off film or at least a short accompanying the film’s blu-ray release. Technically speaking, the film was better than average with colorful and detailed animation and a cute soundtrack. The voice acting was unsurprisingly the best part of the film as its all-star cast (too many to name), new additions and returning cast members, all delivering solid performances.

The Angry Birds Movie 2 may not be as angry as the original but nevertheless, is still a good time to be had.

*still courtesy of Sony Pictures*

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.