Tomorrowland (2015)

I mainly saw this because I'm a huge Brad Bird fan. The guy has had an amazing track record so far, and I can't wait for The Incredibles 2. Unfortunately, Tomorrowland is the first bump in the road for Bird.

It's not all bad. I love good world building and creative design. There's a lot of that here. There are some creative effects, and for the most part the look of the film is polished. I saw this on IMAX, and while it wasn't in 3D (probably a good thing), I enjoyed the visual experience.

It also has a great cast with some charismatic kid actors for a change. It's uncommon to see a movie where most of the main characters are kids and it's not terrible or the acting seems amateurish. I would say to watch out for Raffey Cassidy as she gets older. Maybe it's because she's English, but I can see her popping up in a few period pieces. She kind of reminds me of Saoirse Ronan. Even Pierce Gagnon from Looper has a small role. As if hearing my wishes after watching Pitch Perfect 2, Keegan-Michael Key has a small and funny cameo, along with Kathryn Hahn. Thank you for that.

The story's a little too ambitious and a little all over the place, but I'd say that the main problem with Tomorrowland is that it's a little too preachy. I felt like I was being lectured by the end of it. It's not that it's a bad message, but it doesn't hit with any real impact. It's not like you leave the theater wanting to change the world.

The pacing is a little off as well. There are times where the action is fun and timed perfectly, but then it gets weighed down with exposition. At a little over two hours, cutting a few minutes here and there I think would have helped.

It's fairly entertaining though, but overall feels like more of a kid's film that's trying too hard. A good rental, and I do think kids will really enjoy it. This strikes me as the kind of movie I would have really loved when I was around 10.

3 (out of 5) Death Stars

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

First off, let me start by saying that I really enjoyed the first Pitch Perfect. However, I'm always a little leery of comedy sequels, especially when they come out so soon after the original. Is this a cash grab or do they really have a story to tell?

Unfortunately, Pitch Perfect 2 feels like something from the cash grab category. There just wasn't anything new here, just recycled material that was done better in the first. To illustrate, they didn't bother to expand on the existing cast, giving them even less to do this time around. Instead, they added more characters that also had nothing to do (with the exception of Hailee Steinfeld). Just look at the poster. See how the girl in the front looks a little off, like the scale and perspective doesn't match? It's as if she wasn't actually in the original picture and then they photoshopped her in. Her presence in the film felt about as photoshopped in. It also bugs me that the original antagonist is given almost no screen time, when he was one of the best things about the first. The only good addition was Keegan-Michael Key. He needs to be in everything.

It bugs me that they seemed to forget what made the first film so fun. They also forgot the core of the frigging movie. A capella means no music, something that was pointed out quite a bit in the first film, yet it's completely forgotten here. The first few performances were punctuated by a backing musical track, making it just a musical performance, not an award winning a capella group. I also find it weird that there's no stand out singer in the group. No, Anna Kendrick does not count. There's nothing wrong with her voice, but I don't see her as a powerhouse singer.

Then, there are things in the story that just don't make any sense. Like why does Beca have a secret internship? She's about to graduate, so it makes sense that she'd be trying to get some work experience, especially in the music industry (which seemed to be her goal even in the first film). Why the secrecy? If they're not thinking about the future, then why are they going to college? Just to hang out and sing? This does come out later in the film with pretty much the expected outcome (after they are mad at her first, for no legitimate reason). Oh jeez, I guess we need to move on with our lives. Duh! I hate when I see character behavior in film that isn't consistent with what I see in real life, or "drama" that could be avoided with a two minute conversation. Like it takes Fat Amy three years to figure out she's in love with Bumper. Really? Three whole years?

I'm curious as to why they'd hand the reigns to Elizabeth Banks to direct the sequel. Does she have directing experience that isn't on her IMDB page? Seems like a risky move and I don't think it paid off at all. They couldn't have paid a few extra bucks to bring Jason Moore back?

It's not completely terrible. There were at least a few funny parts, but it's definitely a big step down from the first. If you're a huge fan, I suppose there's enough here to warrant a matinee, but otherwise this is a rental, or even wait for streaming.

2 (out of 5) Death Stars