“Angry Birds 2”

Susan Granger’s review of “Angry Birds 2” (Sony Pictures Imageworks)

This silly sequel to the 2016 animated hit continues the feathered franchise launched by Rovio’s “Angry Birds” video game back in 2009.

On Bird Island and neighboring Piggy Island, the perpetually feuding, flightless birds, led by Red (Jason Sudeikis), and the green-hued porcine population, steered by King Leonard (Bill Hader), discover they must work together to fight a vengeful villainess: purple-plumed Zeta (SNL’s Leslie Jones) from icy Eagle Island, who is determined to conquer their tropical playground.

As part of the unlikely alliance, Red and Leonard assemble a stealthy team to sneak into Zeta’s lair, including super-smart Silver (Rachel Bloom), the engineering/technology whiz sister of Red’s speedy best friend Chuck (Josh Gad), explosive Bomb (Danny McBride), Leonard’s assistant Courtney (Awkwafina), gadget inventor Garry (Sterling K. Brown), and Ethan “Mighty” Eagle (Peter Dinklage).

First-time director Thurop Van Orman, who created the Emmy-winning Cartoon Network hit show “The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack,” acquits himself adequately, along with co-director John Rice. It’s colorful and loud, appealing to its target audience of tiny tykes, utilizing a nonsensical script by Peter Ackerman, Eyal Podell and Jonathon E. Stewart.

There are a few amusing puns, like a bird reading “Crazy Rich Avians,” and some slapstick scenes but, generally, this entry is hardly memorable – except, perhaps, for those who enjoy nepotism. There are cameo vocals as baby Hatchlings from Faith Margaret and Sunday Rose, daughters of Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban, along with the daughters of Gal Gadot and Viola Davis.

On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Angry Birds 2” is a foolish, featherweight 5 – more formulaic family fun.

Scroll to Top