Awesome Art: As expected from Illumination, the animation is beautiful to look at. This is easily Illumination's best animation to date. Unlike Zootopia, which had just mammals, there are a variety of animals here, from mammals, to reptiles, amphibians, fish, shrimp, squids, spiders, puffins and penguins. Also, the characters are expressive and the backgrounds, like the Los Angeles-like city setting, Moon Theater, and the lighting and choreography, especially during the final performances, are breathtaking.
Although this is supposed to be a set-up for the sheep singing "Kiss from a Rose", there's something rather inspiring about "Kiss from a Rose" playing in the background as Rosita looks at the competition's flyer with a determined expression and leaves for the audition. It's as though it's saying this isn't just about going to some talent show: this is Rosita's quest, to rediscover her talent and love for singing.
The Rube Goldberg Device Rosita builds to take care of home while she's at rehearsal. Damn, that woman is good with her hands! Even more awesome is that it was all built in one night.
Even though it's also a sad scene, it's also very satisfying to see Ash finally ditch her asshole boyfriend after she caught him cheating on her.
At the rehearsals, Rosita can't dance correctly, even with Gunther's help, and she decides to just give up. Later, as she buys groceries in an almost deserted supermarket, the Gipsy Kings' cover of "Bamboléo" starts playing on the PA system. She then almost subconsciously launches into a kickass dance routine that remotivates her. The security guard watching her on camera (who is also awesome himself for pumping the song volume up just for Rosita's dance) says it best:
Supermarket Security Guard:[over PA] Lady on Aisle 6... that... was awesome.
Johnny attempts to steal the competition's prize money to bail Marcus out of jail, but has a change of heart when he discovers how much Buster believes in his potential, so he asks Ms. Crawly to help him with some more piano lessons. Because, if Johnny's gonna get his dad out of jail, he's doing it his way.
Even though it backfired horribly, Buster's idea for the contest's dress rehearsal - to build an aquarium stage and backdrop so dozens of luminescent squid can use their Synchronized Swarming to put on a light show - is a wonder to look at. So much so that Nana Noodleman, who has been nothing but disdainful of the koala's aspirations, has her breath taken away. When the theater is rebuilt, you can see that a similar idea has been added to the outside.
Johnny gets a moment of awesome as the theater is flooding; Meena had gotten stuck in the theater booth and was causing the theatre to fill up with water, but Johnny manages to dislodge her out of the booth and into the street, saving everyone inside.
Meena indirectly saves the Moon Theater, and in two different ways: first, when she decides to sing in the middle of the ruins, Buster overhears her, and this is what inspires him to stage a comeback performance. Second, Meena gets the final song in the performance, and after overcoming her stage fright, she gives such a fantastic performance that it impresses Nana Noodleman in the crowd, and Nana decides to buy the property and bail Buster out after having adamantly refused to do so earlier in the movie.
A minor example, but early on Eddie talks about how his family wants him to live on his own and they got him a life coach, but he doesn't really do too much, just swim in the family pool and play video games. But after watching Buster just keep on trucking after losing everything he starts to turn around. He helps out - for hours - at the car wash because Buster needs it and then quickly (and fairly skillfully for a newbie) works as a stage hand in what might be his first actual job. He has a sense of purpose now, and even he ends up better at the end of the movie.
A minor one for a random civilian, who is the first character to really zing one of Mike's insults back at him. It also ends up goading Mike into joining in the final show.
Cat: (watching Gunter and Rosita on store TV) Aren't they great? Mike: What, are you kiddin' me? It's like watching jello dancing around! Cat: Huh, like you could do any better, pipsqueak. (the whole crowd laughs) Mike: Hey, you wanna see something great? I'll show ya great! (he runs off to the theatre)
The entire final show.
Rosita and Gunther open the show with "Shake It Off". The few attendees (with the exception of Meena's and Rosita's families) and the live feed tv who came to see the expected disaster can't do anything but take back their mockeries as people start coming en masse to see the show. As a bonus, Rosita's husband, Norman, who had previously known nothing of her participation in Buster's competition, comes onstage and gives her The Big Damn Kiss.
Johnny is next, singing "I'm Still Standing" while playing on the piano. He directs his words to his father, telling him that he's deciding his own future now, he's striking out on his own, and he's still strong on his own - with or without him. Without knowing it, he shows his father that his desire to be a singer is not some stupid idea, but his true passion, his true calling.
Said father then breaks out of jail - starting by tearing apart his cell's wallwith his bare hands!! - just to make amends (and for added effect, he yanked the bars at the beats of the song). Special mention goes out to Marcus seeing his son perform on TV. He's initially excited at first right up until he remembers the last thing he told Johnny on his visit, before he proceeds to break out of jail by yanking on the jail bars and flinging it at the guards long enough to get a head start, jumping multiple stories from the prison to land on a moving van, and leading two police helicopters on a roof chase. Just so he can get to Moon Theater to make amends with his sonand tell him how proud he is of him.
When Ash's turn comes, the bank representative arrives and threatens to call the cops. Ash, without saying a single word, rallies the entire audience to her side and makes the representative back off. She then roars "Set It All Free", made exclusively for the movie, showing Lance how wrong he was about her. Also, Ash wearing the sunglasses Becky left at her house when she threw Lance out.
During her performance, Ash is wearing Becky's sunglasses that the other girl complained about losing earlier while she was breaking up with Lance. Ash claims them for herself during her act and then tosses them into the crowd halfway through the song, ensuring Becky would never get them back, because she wanted to stick it to both Lance and Becky during her number.
Extra points because the bank rep had just unplugged her electric guitar. Ash rallied the crowd with nothing more than stage stomping and her own voice.
And to top it all off, when said bank rep storms off, leaving the amp cord behind, Buster picks it up and, with nothing more than a quick tug and an Unspoken Plan Guarantee, plugs it back into Eddie's mix-table just before Ash's song hits the chorus, resulting in a massive "drop" as the guitar comes to life.
Mike then has a damn good take on "My Way", and gets to show his Determinator credentials when a helicopter-induced storm puts the song in jeopardy. Unlike the previous three acts, Mike had no pre-practice time and no choreography. No props built for his act, no musical accompaniment he provided on his sax, and no specialized lighting. All there was a mic, a spotlight, somehow correct sound levels, and his voice. And he manages to enrapture the audience, with his voice alone. Something that's quite difficult or impossible for even popular musicians in reality. And as proof before the helicopter arrives; Gunther, parts of the audience, and Ms. Crawly are nearly in tears; Johnny (before his dad arrives) mouths a confused 'What.' at the talent; Meena and Rosita are in a trance; and Ash and Buster Moon are in gaped-mouth enthrallment, with Ash having an expression that she found a new genre of music she likes. With very little prep time he proved why he was so confident he would win that prize.
Last but not least, Meena finally overcomes her stage fright and happily belts out "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing", putting a wonderful end to the show. Even Mike, who has spent most of the film belittling her musical abilities, is cheering her from the wings. Also during her performance, she really brought the house down.
The lady mouse Mike has been trying to woo the entire movie, Nancy, gets a moment of awesome when she saves Mike's life. One of the bears is about to eat Mike after the comeback performance, but Nancy slams a car door into his stomach, making him spit Mike out so the two mice can make their getaway.
Mike might be an unrepentant Jerkass who's responsible for a LOT of the film's conflict and Kick the Dog pretty much every time he's on screen, but in his own way he manages to remain oddly inspirational. The guy is a mouse with not a dollar to his name, who has a honest talent for angering guys quite willing to kill him, but maintains an ever defiant sense of dignity and self-pride.
After a Time-Passes Montage of construction workers rebuilding it from the ground up for several months, the New Moon Theatre standing tall again in all its glory is a beautiful and majestic sight to behold at the end of the film. It's the beginning of a new era for the theater that defined so much of Buster's life, and will now touch the lives of several other people in the future.
Buster: All creatures great and small, welcome, to the NEW Moon Theatre!
The music video for "Faith". Not only does it have the magic of Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande combined, but there’s some pretty neat pencil animation of the animals getting to their show.
. Not only does it have the magic of Stevie Wonder and Ariana Grande combined, but there’s some pretty neat pencil animation of the animals getting to their show.