The Angry Birds Movie 2

Silly pranks, an ace voice cast, and a super-team mission storyline make this fast-paced sequel more fun than the original. It's a predictably well-intentioned second installment, in which the birds and pigs are forced to work together against an even more formidable foe. It also shows how Red's insecurity lingers, since he was only recently accepted and respected. Although some of the movie's jokes and sight gags are recycled (because, frankly, it's unlikely that little kids will ever get tired of naked piggy-butt jokes), the addition of the third mystery island is interesting enough to keep younger audiences guessing.

The movie has a couple of romantic subplots that fall into familiar categories: "hate to love" (in this case, more like "exasperation to flirtation") and "second chance" (this review won't spoil the big reveal). One of the romances seems a bit too mature for younger kids to follow, but there's enough of a "happily ever after" to please moviegoers who are used to Disney princess-level resolutions. The app-inspired, high-contrast visuals and the cutesy nature of the birds and piggies will appeal to kids, as will the lighthearted, silly body humor. This is by no means a family film treasure, but it's sure to elicit enough laughs to make it 100 minutes of tween-friendly fun.