This week at the movies, two very different sequels. On one side, you’ve got singing girl gangs, and on the other side, apocalyptic warrior gangs. Something for everyone!
Pitch Perfect 2
The gang is all here again—Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks (who is taking her first turn as a director), as well as new villains (German, of course) in this bizarre world where singing teams are in competition in gang-like formations. This time they are in Copenhagen for the competition, which is, as before, all kinds of ridiculous.
Perfect For: Teen girls who love high school musicals and dance-off movies; fans of Anna, Rebel and Elizabeth (and that should include everyone).
What the Critics Say: While it’s not as good as the original, it doesn’t have sequelitis, either. Writes Entertainment Weekly: “P2 sometimes feels less like a movie than a two-hour episode of Glee ghostwritten by Amy Schumer; jokes fly like they’re being shot from T-shirt guns at a gonzo pep rally, and not all of them stick the landing.” And says the Wrap: “Serves it all up again, with just enough flashes of absurdist wit, musical brio and new characters to keep this serviceably fun follow-up from going down like a plate of lukewarm leftovers.”
Our Take: Yesssss, please!
Watch the Trailer:
Mad Max: Fury Road
This reboot of the Mad Max series takes two of the hottest people alive (Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy) and makes them the warriors in the post-apocalyptic desert. Through no fault of its own, the Mad Max franchise is responsible for Burning Man’s aesthetic (we won’t hold that against it), but the visual flair depicted by George Miller, the original director, more than makes up for that.
Perfect For: You like really good action adventure movies in dystopian settings; you are a fan of the first Mad Max movies, and recognize that Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron are about 3 billion times cooler than Mel Gibson.
What the Critics Say: Slam dunk. It’s got a 99% Rotten Tomato meter rating which basically never happens for an action movie. Never. Here’s the New York Times: “Even in the most chaotic fights and collisions, everything makes sense.”
And says Richard Roeper: “In an action movie world dominated by cartoonishly over-the-top CGI effects and rapid-fire quick cuts, it’s exhilarating to see so many set pieces and battle sequences filmed in unbroken tracking shots, some breathtaking wide angle views and visceral, gritty close-ups.”
Our Take: It’s not a question of if you are going; it’s a question of when. Note to directors: can we just have one movie where Tom Hardy’s beautiful face is not obscured by a mustache or a mask of some kind? K, thanks, bye.
Watch the Trailer:
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