Simon Jameson

!!SPOILERS!! I don't think I've ever written a movie review and I know how cliche that is to say, but man this movie was amazing. I went in to see this movie with "meh" expectations since I thought the first one was just okay. I am so glad to be proven wrong! I turn 18 in 3 days and I saw this movie in theaters with my 18-year-old best friend and my mom - all 3 of us laughed out loud at more than one point and I nearly cried during the scene with Clay and Ash singing with the audience. I'm not ashamed to admit that this is my new favorite animated film. I loved Johnny's arc in particular - Taron played him PERFECTLY, his emotions were so real. The conflict between him and Klaus and the immediate bond between him and Nooshy was so inspiring, and to see him flourishingly rise above Klaus's abuse in "Sky Full Of Stars"... I was bouncing in my seat and cheering him on. Of course, everyone else's stories were played out phenomenally, too. And the songs, oh the SONGS!! My freshman year of high school I would walk the hallways with "Could Have Been Me" blasting in my earbuds because it was really an uplifting sentiment for 14 year old me who was just coming out of my shell, so imagine my excitement when Halsey's character Porsha started singing it! I was so hyped during that scene, and her voice did the song justice. But generally speaking, to have such a mix of current and less current music woven together so perfectly is beautiful. I'm not a U2 fan because I was never really exposed to their music but that does not lessen the impact of Clay Calloway's (Bono) storyline. His connection with Ash got me misty-eyed a few times, and whenever one of his songs was sung in the movie it was always acoustic and slow and solemn, which added so much to how revered his character was in the universe, and felt like a love letter to Bono really. Also: props to illumination for giving us a gutsy villain who's willing to do whatever he thinks it takes to get his way. I was pleasantly surprised to see how dark Mr. Crystal was, but that could be just me (I love older darker kids movies like An American Tail or The Black Cauldron and you just don't see movies leaning into that side nowadays). Every character got just enough screen time and story to make me care about them and as a theater kid, I appreciate how we see the strings attached to the final production - wires, harnesses, etc. that really make the show seem applicable to real life. TLDR for this passionate rant: I freaking loved this movie. Best animated film of the year in my opinion and I'll be buying it on DVD as soon as it's available. An amazing cast with a well-thought-out storyline and stunning visuals and music choices. My deepest admiration to Garth Jennings for this masterpiece of a film.