The good news: the therapy paid off. The bad news: The franchise lost its identity. Is it too much to ask that Angry Birds be, I dunno, angry? Following up a surprisingly entertaining original, the Angry Birds people recognized that the millet train wasn’t yet done – there were more stops to be had in the towns of Cashin and Sellout. I don’t know anybody who plays Angry Birds any longer, and yet those villages are still as clear and recognizable as a red bird flung right at you.
Bird Island and Pig Island have formed a truce. Well, gosh, who knew that terrorism could be so effective? Oh, I’m sorry, isn’t that what the first movie was about – hurling surprise attack bombs at the thieving culture until you get your way? That sounds a lot like terrorism to me. But it’s cartoon terrorism, that’s ok, right? … who’s to say that Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny aren’t terrorists, too, when it comes right down to it? At the beginning of The Angry Birds Movie 2, the pigs and the birds do little more than flip the pig at one another. Their rivalry is a good-natured series of catapulted pranks like the classic “hay bale on the airbus” routine; it’s no longer about cultural genocide. Phew.
The hero of the original, Red (voice of Jason Sudeikis), is not terribly unhappy these days. This not-so-angry bird is content with leisurely strolls and autograph tours. Nothing makes you less angry than sycophantic success, I think. But his leisure days are going to change: The pigs have discovered that all is not well in their respective paradises. Apparently, somebody has been lobbing ice balls the size of buildings at pig island and King Pig, Leonard (Bill Hader), is calling a truce. So … here’s the squeal-io: there’s a third island, literally a stone’s throw away. Wow, dudes, your understanding of geography sucks! Well, this entire world has weird geography, cuz for some reason known only to the cartoonists, Bird Island and Pig Island are tropical paradises while the new island 50 feet away is an iceberg. 
What’s up with that? Oh, wait, are we on that “Rick & Morty” planet where you can go to the end of your driveway and be in the South Pole?
The lesson here is appreciation, not anger management. Red has to stow his pomp (and I recommend stowing your pomp in the overhead cabin when slingshotting to destroy a rival nation) and realize that his new frenemy Silver (Rachel Bloom) is far more capable than he is. Can Red keep from blowing his load long enough to realize they’ve all got a job to do? Meh, it doesn’t matter. As characters are so easily manipulated in frivolous animation, films like this are all about the moments. Are the moments worth it? I dunno. A little, I suppose. I laughed a few times at the Trojan Eagle comprised of several bird/pig denizens. I laughed at a prank or two. I also fell asleep and have neither an idea nor a care of how much I missed. I suppose it ends well – the islands are saved and Red learns a new valuable lesson; none of that much matters, either. I doubt your kids will give a crap if Red played nice with Silver.
Is there a message here? Should we all put aside our anger and pursue a common enemy with planning and insight? Well, yes, that’s a decent message, but it’s almost completely incidental. I think the Angry Birds folks painted themselves into a corner assuming –quite correctly- this fad would fade. This film feels a bit like a hunter, or in this case an Angry Bird, laying down a trail of food for the intended victim to follow, only to find the when the bird runs out of seed, he’s already in a birdcage. Oops. Heck, you can tell from the title –when you call your film “The Angry Birds Movie” you aren’t anticipating a sequel. The Angry Birds Movie 2 isn’t a disaster, but it is an amiable nothing … a forgettable collection of four or five decent jokes and a sunny conclusion to make your kids smile. Yeah, there’s color and sound and energy and smiles, but the film itself is about as challenging as a footrace with a toddler.
♪Chicks and pigs and birds better scurry
When Zeta unleashes her fury
When Zeta releases her flurry of arctic glop!
Watch that screen and view angry nutters
Launching selves right into the gutters
Close those shades and seal up the shutters
When [it’s] about to drop!♫
Rated PG, 96 Minutes
Director: Thurop Van Orman and John Rice
Writer: Peter Ackerman and Eyal Podell & Jonathon E. Stewart
Genre: The first one was a success!
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Kids who aren’t so angry anymore?
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Bored parents
♪ Parody Inspired by “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top”
