Walking into the sequel of an animated movie that is loosely based off of a popular Finnish game app, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I expected that the hour and a half would be met with few laughs, especially since I never saw the first Angry Birds movie. However, with the help of well-loved celebrities voicing the characters and some downright funny jokes (one character is seen reading a book titled Crazy Rich Avians), The Angry Birds Movie 2 is enjoyable for parents and little ones alike.

Audiences are quickly introduced to Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), a—you guessed it!—red bird that considers himself a hero after saving the birds from attacks from Piggy Island in the first Angry Birds movie. When a new threat comes from Eagle Island, run by head eagle Zeta (Leslie Jones), Red assembles an unlikely group of heroes and teams up with the pigs to save Bird and Piggy Island. Among Red’s crew is Chuck (Josh Gad), Bomb (Danny McBride), Mighty Eagle (Peter Dinklage), and Silver (Rachel Bloom).

The film teaches a surprisingly heartfelt lesson about embracing those that are different than you. Ultimately the real saving grace of this animated movie is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Even while teaching a message of acceptance, there are oodles of playfulness, bathroom humor kids will enjoy, and adorable characters any age will fall in love with. And since the movie was produced by Sony Pictures, the soundtrack is graced with musical appearances from Jimmy Buffett, Sarah McLachlan, and David Bowie, among others.

Rating: PG
Release Date: August 14, 2019