Following the success of Zootropolis, Illumination Entertainment have brought us their own cinematic take on an animated animal metropolis with Sing.

Buster Moon is a koala bear with dreams of making it big in show business. Inspired by a childhood trip to the theatre, Buster decides to invest his late father’s savings into the very same theatre that captured his heart as a boy.

But the reality of living his dream isn’t quite as Buster had imagined, and he soon has a string of bad shows and declining ticket sales under his belt.

With the bank on the verge of repossessing the theatre Mr Moon holds so dear, our koala’s only hope of restoring his beloved playhouse to its former glory is to put on the very best show in town.

Struggling to come up with anything original, Buster stages a talent show with the last of his savings. Alas, an iguana with a glass eye and zero attention to detail adds a couple of naughts to the £1000 prize money and soon there’s a queue of hopeful wannabes outside looking for a chance to strike it rich.

Buster’s line-up ticks all the stereotypical talent show boxes we’ve come to expect from years of Simon Cowell’s TV productions.

So there’s Rosita, an overworked mother who abandoned her dreams of singing to look after her husband and 25 piglets; rock chick Ash, a Porcupine who must decide whether to go solo or stay with her arrogant boyfriend; jazz loving crooner Mike, a street smart mouse straight out of the rat pack; gentle giant Johnny, a Gorilla torn between his passion for music and living up to his father’s criminal expectations; powerhouse Meena, an Elephant with a big voice but even bigger stage fright and dancer Gunter, the act who’s more show than actual talent.

With the line-up sorted, things finally seem to be looking up for Buster. But when rehearsals leave the theatre’s fate in more jeopardy than ever, will the show go on?

Sing makes for an easy and enjoyable watch, and even as a marsupial McConaughey’s charm manages to shine through. Unlike Zootropolis there isn’t any unexpected darkness or underlying message about society to be found here; this film is pretty much what it says on the tin, animals that sing.

And with a pop filled soundtrack packed with chart hits it’s sure to impress the kids and X factor fans this film is intended for.

I’m not the kind of girl to stay home on Saturday night watching talent contests, so Sing did initially make my eyes roll a little.

But the relentless assault of feel good pop and the dancing five year old who accompanied me made it near impossible not to smile along with the rest.

Sing’s story is a simple one; believe in yourself, have fun and all your dreams can come true.

If only real life worked that way.

Joanna Campbell