Nothing pleases my heart more than a clichéd, overused premise being made into something fun and feeling fresh, which is exactly what I got with the first Pitch Perfect movie. It was an extended episode of Glee that knew exactly what it was, played fast and loose with the material, all the while having a clear respect for its target audience. It was a surprise hit, and it would be clear that a sequel was necessary, if not, inevitable. How does it hold up though?

Probably my biggest glaring flaw with the first film was the characters, who, with the exception for Beca and Fat Amy (both reprised by Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson), who were both very well-rounded characters, were mostly two-dimensional or otherwise just flat, but like this film, they remain entertaining through the self-aware humor that surrounds their character archetype. The sequel both improves and degenerates this aspect. There’s also the addition of Emily Junk-Hardon (played by Hailee Steinfeld), the daughter of a former Barden Bella who wants to continue her family legacy, and she’s about as three-dimensional as Beca and Amy while sharing some very decent chemistry with the former. Bumper (reprised by Adam DeVine), who was your typical macho bully from the first film, has become more humbled and self-depricating, which adds a lot more flavor to his character. Replacing his role as the “villain,” is Das Sound Machine, the German group casting a shadow over the shamed Bellas who, in typical generic villain fashion, have no ounce of respect for the Bellas and spend roughly the entirety of their spoken dialogue insulting them. They aren’t even given an interesting ending like Bumper had in the first film, which felt a bit insulting.

With the first film’s success, however, the writers were able to take a lot more risks with the story and subplots, and they really do shine here. Where the first film was focused solely on the re-evolution of the Bellas and Beca’s romance with Jesse (reprised by Skylar Astin), there’s a subplots involving the on-off relationship of Fat Amy and Bumper, Beca’s internship at a recording studio, Emily’s fitting in with the Bellas despite the chaos and controversy surrounding them, and the inevitable end of the Bellas following everyone’s graduations. The script really weaves these numerous bits around the admittedly familiar main plot in a way that really gives it some depth and emotional resonance (a few college grads might find themselves a bit misty-eyed upon watching the campfire scene). It’s this aspect that’s not only Pitch Perfect 2’s most improved strength over the first film, but the strongest in general.

What also really helped Pitch Perfect shine was the very catchy a cappella renditions of classic and current hits that the film is really meant to be about. Unfortunately, the tunes have downgraded in quality since the first film. Not to say that they’re bad, but they feel a little over-produced, less genuine, and not nearly as moving as the first. The riff-off from the first one is brought back, and it’s easily the best musical moment in this film (not only for being far better musically than the first, but also blindsiding us with an absolutely hilarious cameo by the most unexpected group imaginable). Das Sound Machine has some great quality to their sound, but I think they could have benefitted from doing more European-based songs (their final performance is a mash up of the Chicago-based Fall Out Boy and the New Orleans based DJ Khaled).

Despite its flaws, Pitch Perfect 2 soars over its clear improvements, and is still a very fun and catchy film with a surprising amount of heart. It would be difficult to find a way to continue the series over how they decide to end it, but under the direction that the cast and crew that brought it to this point, I imagine that it would be impossible to move it forwards still. I personally hope that it ends on this high note.

Final Verdict:

In my humble opinion, Brad Bird is a filmmaking marvel. Towards a very young audience, he has managed to accurately convey the look and emotional tension of the Cold War era in The Iron Giant, created a very gritty and dramatic superhero film in The Incredibles, as well as capture the artistry and decadence of fine French cuisine in Ratatouille. After also proving his apt with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Brad Bird is finally back with the ambitious and highly-anticipated Tomorrowland, but how does it hold up alongside his already impressive resume?

One of this film’s stronger strengths is its acting and characters. I admitted that Britt Robertson actually did a decent job in this year’s The Longest Ride, and she’s admittedly not as strong here playing the optimistic whiz-kid Casey (her numerous episodes of overacting to blame), but it goes nowhere near the point of ruining the performance. The two standouts in this film are George Clooney and Raffey Cassidy as cynical genius Frank Walker and the mysterious Athena, respectively. Both characters are outstandingly written and performed, and they are easily the most drawing factors this film has going for it.

Where Tomorrowland really falters is its script and story. Many of Casey’s lines revolve around expository explanations of things the viewers can easily ascertain onscreen, which is a shame for a powerhouse writer such as Bird. What’s also very disconcerting is the level of convolution of the plot, which serves as a disappointingly tiring two hour ride that leads up to an insultingly obvious and naïve speech delivered by the villain David Nix, played with surprising charisma and conviction by Hugh Laurie. The film also treats Casey like the only person in the world who actually gives a damn about the state of planet Earth, treats optimism over cynicism like a black and white issue, as well as making the assumption that the mere hoping for a better world will make it so. For a film about taking action to make the world and human race better, this is a straight punch in the gut (among other things that I’ll withhold because spoilers).

For those in it for the eye candy, there’s plenty to love. Tomorrowland is awesome to look at, and Brad Bird and cinematographer Claudio Miranda makes the absolute best of it with an uninterrupted shot of Casey exploring the city and its technological marvels after she touches the pin. But for every great moment of direction that Brad Bird delivers, a questionable or downright stupid one is soon to follow. The androids sent to attack Frank and Casey from the latest trailers are so hammed up that they are impossible to take seriously or feel threatened by. And that’s one of Tomorrowland’s biggest problems. There’s almost no way to make a pure experience out of this because the beat-you-over-the-head script refuses you from not thinking about what you’re watching. Well, I’m thinking Mr. Bird, but it’s certainly not what you want me to be thinking about.

As a character study and a visual feast, Tomorrowland delivers in spades, but in its most important and focused aspect, the story, it all falls apart. The characters do their best to trudge the film forwards, but it ironically stays stationary with a moral that we’ve heard dozens of times and told in a hardly groundbreaking way. It hurts more to know that it came from Brad Bird out of all people.

Final Verdict:

Many of my friends and family say that I hate romance, romantic-comedies, and chick-flicks in general because I’m a guy. Which would be true if Before Sunrise wasn’t one of my all time favorite movies, as well as these movies just being consistently cheap and poorly made in general. It makes me feel good when a romantic-comedy comes around that serves to be more than a guaranteed laughy-weepy for an emotionally fragile audience, and I’ll See You In My Dreams is such a film.

Going into this movie, I only knew about three people in its cast well, one of whom was not its star, Blythe Danner (playing Carol), and I thought she was phenomenal. She’s a very tragic character that still maintains a lot of spunk and flair that makes her a character worth following. Her love interest Bill (played by Sam Elliot), is a very old-fashioned, patriarchal, rich playboy kind of character, but Elliot’s (super)natural charm and charisma make him equally as delightful, and they end up making a very convincing couple. Also joining him are Silicon Valley’s Martin Starr, playing Carol’s pool cleaner Lloyd, and the chemistry the two of them share, especially during a “date” at a karaoke bar, is arguably as strong as the one Carol and Bill share. June Squibb (who was a brilliant firecracker in Alexander Payne’s Nebraska) also co-stars, but minus a scene where she, Carol, and their friends at a retirement home smoke some pot, she’s disappointingly underutilized.

One thing that a romance movie needs to work beyond a pair of compatible leads is a story they can sail through, and the waters are clear and calm, so to speak. The film itself is a tale about moving on from the ever elusive past, and the writing and directing work about as well as the acting and the characters do. There’s a very neat metaphor in the form of a running gag that appears a few times throughout the film, and the writing is uniformly refined and sharp, but not always in a comedic way. I will say that there is a point in the film where something comes about, for lack of a better term, out of the blue, and it’s jarring to say the least, but the film does manage to regain its footing soon after.

As far as romanctic-comedies go, calling I’ll See You In My Dreams groundbreaking might be a bit of a stretch, but it’s still far, far better than most films in this genre that have come out this decade. If the writing and direction don’t do too much for you, the acting and characters certainly will, and it’s certainly pleasant enough to make for a fabulous date night.

Final Verdict:

By Saturday or Sunday, I should have reviews for Poltergeist, San Andreas, and Spy.