Chris Pratt and Third Act Elevates 'Jurassic World'

When I was a kid, there was a time in which I obsess about dinosaurs.  I would read or watch everything that had dinosaurs in it.  There are three properties I can remember that incited that fascination back then.  First is The Land Before Time (I still get chills whenever I hear “If We Hold On Together”).  Second is the Dino-Riders animated series.  And the third is Jurassic Park.  I was still a toddler when I saw this movie for the first time, and I was simultaneously awed and terrified.  But I loved it.  Then The Lost World came later and I loved that as well.  Growing up during the 90’s and early 2000’s, Jurassic Park and The Lost World are among those movies I would always watch whenever they were on cable.  I probably have seen those two movies a couple of dozens of times each.  As for Jurassic Park 3, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the previous two since it wasn’t particularly good, but I probably have seen it thrice.  When I was in high school, I began reading books written by Michael Crichton, author of the Jurassic Park novel the movie was based on; he became one of my most favorite writers ever, and the Jurassic Park book became one of my most favorite science fiction books ever.

So based on what was revealed above, I can really say that I’m a big Jurassic Park fan.  Understandably, Jurassic World is one of the 2015 movies I was looking forward to the most.  Coming into the movie, I wasn’t expecting it to match the greatness of the original Jurassic Park.  But I was nevertheless hoping it would be, at least, a good movie and significantly better than Jurassic Park 3.  Fortunately, Jurassic World is exactly that.

The story takes place two decades after the events of the first Jurassic Park movie.  A functioning dinosaur theme park/resort now exists, named “Jurassic World” and located in Isla Nublar, the same island Jurassic Park was on.  To increase attendance, a new attraction is created: a genetically-made dinosaur called the Indominus rex, a product of splicing various genes, including that of the Tyrannosaurus rex and another dinosaur whose identity the narrative tries to keep a secret until its “big reveal” in the third act (but it’s quite obvious what, really).  The Indominus rex is meaner and highly more intelligent than other dinosaurs, and possesses characteristics that aren’t inherent in dinosaurs due to the genetic modifications it got from other animal genes.  As to be expected, this deadly dinosaur escapes and sends the island into chaos.

Chris Pratt plays the main protagonist, Owen Grady, a former Navy man now working as a raptor trainer.  And he’s really great.  His character is easily the most likable, sensible, and kickass character in this movie.  Chris Pratt simply enforces the case he started when he played Star-Lord in last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy – that he really has what it takes to be a legitimate go-to star for dashing action-adventure hero roles.  He totally has that same roguish charm that Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson had in their heyday.  So if ever Chris Pratt turns out to be the choice for the next Indiana Jones, then I’m comfortable about it.

Jurassic World doesn’t incite that sense of wonder that the first movie had.  Worse, there were some things done in this movie that were obvious attempts to imitate that said sense of wonder that the first movie had, but didn’t hit the mark.  Most of the dinosaur scenes were already seen in the trailer.  CGI is obvious and a bit distracting at times.  The plot isn’t quite thoughtful, which reduces any thrill that the movie produces to that derived from a common monster thriller.  It has a couple of unnecessary subplots and stupid plot elements.  In fact, two-thirds into the movie, aside from Chris Pratt, I thought that Jurassic World is pretty mediocre in quality.

Then came the final third.  And it. Was. Awesome!  It really lifted the movie considerably.  Bryce Dallas Howard’s character, Claire Dearing, significantly improved at that point (prior that, she has an irritating presence).  The narrative gelled – making more sense.  The action sequences became more imaginative.  And that fantastic climax (more about this on my miscellaneous musings below) literally made me grip the arm bars of my seat and exclaim “Whoa!” in excitement.

Jurassic World has several flaws, but it’s amply entertaining to be considered one of 2015’s most must-watch movies.

Miscellaneous musings – WITH SPOILERS:

• The scene with the black crow at the beginning was cleverly done.
• Throughout this movie, amidst all the running and action, Bryce Dallas Howard’s character, Claire Dearing, remained on heels.   It was both dumb and funny.
• Claire did this GIF-worthy smile when her nephew mentioned to her, “Your boyfriend’s a badass.”
• If I remember it right, the nature of the Indominus rex being a combination of T-rex and Velociraptor genes was already revealed in early plot synopses or teasers about this movie.  But, apparently, based on its treatment by the narrative, it was as if it was intended to be a plot twist, as if the raptor nature of Indominus rex was supposed to be a secret. 
• I like the usage of the raptors for this story.  They were trained by Chris Pratt’s character, Owen Grady, and the established relationship between him and the raptors was not done in a dumb way.  I love the scene wherein he introduced the raptors – Echo, Delta, Charlie, and Blue (Beta) – and he was asked who’s the Alpha, and his reply was, “You’re looking at him.”  Awesome. 
• However, despite being trained, these raptors weren’t necessarily tamed or neutered.  They were still these terrifyingly intelligent killing machines as with the previous movies.  In fact, at some point in the movie, the Indominus rex became their new Alpha which led to them turning against the humans.
• They eventually switched back though, validating that their bond with Owen is stronger than anything.  It was really a heartfelt detail.  I was actually sad that only one of the raptors survived. 
• The peak of this movie was when Claire released and led the T-rex to fight the Indominus rex.  The latter took the upper hand, and seemed to be on its way for the kill.  But the last of Owen’s raptors joined the fray and attacked the Indominus rex.  The T-rex and the raptor double-teamed the Indominus rex and their combined strikes pushed it at the edge of the Jurassic World Lagoon.  Before the Indominus rex can recover, the Lagoon’s Mosasaurus lunged at it and dragged it in the water.  Before the start of this movie, I did hypothesize that the Mosasaurus will have a part in bringing the Indominus rex’s demise.  However, I didn’t expect that it was going to be that awesome.  Seriously, that epic sequence was worth the price of admission.
• Apparently, the director mentioned in an interview that the T-rex in Jurassic World is the same one from the first Jurassic Park movie.  I was unaware of this fact when I watched Jurassic World and only learned of this afterwards.  This was, to my puzzlement, never mentioned in the movie.  The connection would have provided a bit more impact.   
• In the next Jurassic movie, I would like to see a feathered rendition of the Velociraptor, which is supposedly more scientifically accurate.

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The Date Is Wrong, But Let's Enjoy Our Independence Day Nonetheless (While We Still Can)

Art found on the back of the obsolete five peso bill depicts the June 12, 1989 declaration of independence.  Yep, I was alive already when this was still being circulated.

Today is supposed to be the Philippines’ 117^th Independence Day.  But it’s a misleading statement.  The Philippines isn’t really 117 years independent.  When Emilio Aguinaldo gathered his supporters at his home in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898 to declare the Philippines’ independence, he intended it to be a means to direct other nations to recognize the independence of the country.  However, this didn’t accomplish anything, as neither Spain nor the United States recognized Philippine independence.  To add insult to injury, Spain transferred the Philippines to United States’ control through the 1898 Treaty of Paris.  So, basically, the declaration of independence on June 12, 1898 didn’t have any actual substance.

That’s why I don’t think celebrating Independence Day on June 12 is proper.  It felt kind of delusional if we think that Aguinaldo’s declaration of independence on June 12, 1898 actually contributed in giving the Philippines independence.  Personally, I think that the more rightful date to celebrate our Independence Day is on July 4^th, since it was only on July 4, 1946 that the Philippines actually received a de facto, self-ruling identity for the first time.  In fact, for some time, our Independence Day was correctly celebrated on the 4^th of July, while June 12 was reserved for Flag Day.  However, for a reason that perplexes me, Diosdado Macapagal thought it a brilliant idea to declare in 1964 that June 12 is the appropriate date to celebrate our Independence Day.  He argued that since it’s the date when the Filipinos declared and exercised their “right to self-determination, liberty and independence”, and that it was a “legitimate assertion by the Filipino nation of their natural and inalienable claim to freedom and independence”, then it was only right to commemorate that date as the Philippines’ Independence Day.

For years, this bugged me.  Just saying something to be true without it being an actual reality doesn’t make it true.  It’s pretty basic.  When the Philippines said it was an independent country in 1898, but it really wasn’t in reality, then it wasn’t.  It would have been another story if the June 12, 1898 declaration has a direct influence in bringing about a legitimate independence happening on a future date.  But it didn’t.  After declaring independence, the Philippines didn’t have actual independence until nearly half a century later.  The Americans and the Japanese ruled the Philippines during that span.  And when we finally got our independence, it was something given to us by the Americans – we didn’t really win it.  Aguinaldo’s declaring Philippine independence on June 12, 1898 had nothing to do with that happening.  So, no, June 12 is not a better date than July 4.

Nevertheless, regardless of my issue with the date, I do value Independence Day.  It’s a holiday after all.  But, more than that, it is nice to reflect on the value of having freedom.  I’m grateful that I wasn’t born in an era wherein, being a Filipino, I could be forcibly asked to do hard labor without payment through polo y servicio.  Or have an encomendero lawfully exact excessive taxes from me or take my property by whim.  Or be tortured or beheaded by the Kempeitai.  Or witness the women I know and love be raped by Japanese soldiers.  Yes, I am actually blessed and fortunate to live in a time wherein the greatest bane of being a Filipino is just having corrupt politicians in our government (no sarcasm… okay, maybe a bit).  And Independence Day makes me realize that.

So we Filipinos really need to enjoy and appreciate our Independence Day.  Especially considering the fact that the looming possibility of Chinese invasion is just around the corner, and we might not enjoy our independence for long (LOL.  I hope I’m just overthinking it.  But the likelihood can’t really be dismissed easily).  Independence and freedom are things that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Happy Independence Day, everyone!  117 might not be the actual years the Philippines are genuinely independent and free, but, at the very least, I pray the country will enjoy 117 years more of being so.

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How Is My 2015 TV Watching So Far

Just like last year, I decided to once again rank the TV shows that I’ve watched midway through this year.  This list is exclusively on live-action TV series, so don’t expect any animated series to be in it.  The list is arranged from best to least.

The Flash

From being the number eight in my list for last year’s best shows, its inaugural season’s strong second-half propelled it to the top of my favorites (as of now).  Harrison Wells a.k.a. Eobard Thawne a.k.a. Reverse Flash has been one of the most complex, multi-layered, fascinating villains ever in fiction; Gorilla Grodd was miraculously adapted into live action in a manner that didn’t look cheap; it maintained a strong connection with its parent show Arrow, and significantly contributed in expanding the DC TV universe; and, most importantly, I grew to like all of the characters beyond Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen, Tom Cavanagh’s Harrison Wells, and Jesse L. Martin’s Detective West (I used to like only these three).  This show still succumbs to dumb plot holes, but these are easily forgiven for being continually fun and exciting.

Daredevil

In my opinion, it was only with this show that Marvel was able to take their first real step in challenging DC’s TV dominance.  CLICK HERE for more of my thoughts on Daredevil.

Orphan Black

Orphan Black remains to be an extremely intriguing, fascinating, and smart series; and Tatiana Maslany continues to delight in portraying the different LEDA clones.  However, I’m a bit bummed that the CASTOR clones are taking some screentime away from Tatiana Maslany’s characters.  I think I liked it more when the narrative solely revolves around the lives of the LEDA clones – again, Tatiana Maslanay’s incredible display of versatility in bringing to life different characters and giving them distinctive personalities is the greatest thing about this show in the first place.  Ari Mellen isn’t a bad actor, but the CASTOR clones are just like different shades of the same character – there is no opportunity for Allen to play characters that are unique from each other (or he’s incapable of it).  Nonetheless, this is still the same show that I fell in love with last year, and it’s still pretty much near perfection. 

Arrow

 

Its spin-off, The Flash, has surpassed Arrow already, but I’ll always love this show for being the closest thing to a Batman live-action TV series we can have right now.  Arrow boasts great fight scenes, gritty storytelling, and interesting characters – especially the awesome Felicity Smoak.

iZombie

I’m not familiar with the comics this series is based on, but if the writing is anywhere near the quality of this series, then it’s probably terrific.  This new series has this particular charm, wit, and relatability that gives the show a Veronica Mars-like tone, which is no wonder since Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars, developed this show.  The small screen is full of crime procedural/mystery shows already, but I find iZombie’s approach to the genre – along with its own brand of zombie mythology – fresh and fun.  I also appreciate how its scenes start like a comic panel then transitions into the opening shot of the scene.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

I love this show, but I have these high expectations that hasn’t been met yet.  I’m not sure if it’s fair, but I really want my expectation to match the actual.  The current S.H.I.E.L.D. comic book series – which was somewhat based on the TV series – has a better premise and tells better stories.  At the very least, I hope the TV series can match the appeal of the comic book series.  But all that said, it was only somewhere in the second season that I finally get to like Skye, and that has to be a big deal considering how I disliked her during the first season.

Constantine

 

It’s saddening that this series is cancelled (its low ratings can’t bring justice to its provided budget).  Matt Ryan killed as John Constantine, and though the story is limited and tame compared to its source material, it was still very great.  I’m going to miss this show.  If only Constantine can make a deal with or con the First into taking Gothaminstead of Constantine.

The Blacklist

Though season 2 has its good share of thrills and intrigue, it isn’t as thrilling and intriguing as the first season.  In its first season, there were a lot of stuff happening every episode, but amidst the fast pace, it felt that the series has a clear direction on where it’s trying to go, narratively speaking.  But there’s a lack of that in the second season.  However, the drop in the quality of its storytelling is minimal, and it has still been a rewarding show to follow.

Castle

This is currently the longest running ongoing TV series that I’m following and enjoying – and it’s still not yet over.  The finale of season 7 actually felt like a nice wrap up of the series already.  That’s why I was surprised that a season 8 is still coming.  So I hope that this new season will really be able to bring something new and awesome to the series.   I would really hate to see this show become terrible and empty.  I would have preferred for it to end in season 7 – ending in a good position – than suffering from a purposeless, cash-grab new season.  So, keeping my fingers crossed.  Please be good, season 8.

Agent Carter

I liked it, but it didn’t make me go crazy for it.  It merely felt like an expanded Marvel One-Shot short.  CLICK HERE for more of my thoughts on Agent Carter.

12 Monkeys

I thought that this series is going to be bad, but I found it surprisingly enjoyable.  CLICK HERE for more of my thoughts on 12 Monkeys.

The Big Bang Theory

In my opinion, the previous seasons (which I marathoned last year) are funnier than the recent season.  Nonetheless, getting through a 20-minute episode of The Big Bang Theory is never a chore but always a fun time.

Pinocchio

In an attempt to duplicate my experience with I Hear Your Voice, I picked up Pinocchio late last year.  Though it has the same writer and lead actor as I Hear Your Voice, Pinocchio isn’t as good.  Still, it’s entertaining enough to make me watch every episode until its finale early this year.

Elementary

This show continues to fall further down my TV list.  It just can’t match the cleverness of its first season (which made it my favorite TV show back in 2013).  Now, it’s just like another generic crime procedural that has characters that only happen to have the same names with the characters from Sherlock Holmes literature.  I’m still going to watch the episodes of its next season, but not as regularly as before.

Supergirl

The pilot leaked.  I didn’t like it.  Still, I’m going to give this show a chance to prove itself by watching a couple of episodes when it officially starts later this year.  CLICK HERE for more of my thoughts on Supergirl.

Sleepy Hollow

In its first season, this show used to be ridiculous but in a good, entertaining way.  But in season 2, the drop of quality was great.  It became this convoluted, boring mess.  It regained footing in its ending episodes, but by then, it was too late, I no longer have a fondness for it.  A season 3 is coming, and there’s always the chance that it can get better and be as great as before again.  That would be nice, if ever.

So 16 shows in the pool so far, but new series can be picked up later this year, and some of the shows I’m following haven’t even run their respective seasons yet this 2015 – Defiance season 3, True Detective season 2 (coming later this month), Doctor Who series 9, and the Sherlock Christmas special (the show I’m looking forward to the most this year).  The rankings are subject to change, of course, depending on how the second half of the year will turn out for these shows.  Nonetheless, this can serve as a glimpse on how my picks for top 10 TV shows of 2015 will eventually look like.

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'Run All Night' Is a Liam Neeson Action Movie Done Right, Makes Up for 'Taken 3'

Ever since the first Taken movie transformed Liam Neeson (who was originally known for his dramatic turns) into a surprising 21^stcentury badass action star, he has been mostly playing the same kind of role; his characters are basically following the template of Bryan Mills – the first of such kind of Liam Neeson action hero and, so far, still the best.  Hence, since his characters are seemingly the same, his movies – despite the differences in premises and plots – look seemingly the same.  It seems like a Liam Neeson-starred action movie is an entire genre of its own.  And though Neeson is talented (he was an Oscar nominee after all), magnetic, and likable, his presence alone can’t completely negate the one-dimensionality disadvantage that his movies have.  That’s why it’s important for a Liam Neeson movie to have an enjoyable and fresh story along with a compelling variation of Neeson’s Bryan Mills for it to work.  That’s something Run All Nightis able to accomplish, in my opinion.

The movie sees Liam Neeson playing the role of Jimmy Conlon, a loyal hit man working for Brooklyn mob boss Shawn Maguire (played by Ed Harris).  The two go way back and have been best friends ever since.  One night, Jimmy’s estranged son, Mike (played by Joel Kinnaman), who works as a chauffeur, witnesses Shawn’s son, Danny (played by Boyd Holbrook), kill the clients he is driving for the night, who happens to be Albanian mobsters involved in a sour heroin deal with Danny.  Despite being told by his father to keep still, Danny proceeds to go after Mike.  But before Danny can shoot Mike, Jimmy has no choice but to shoot him first, killing him, to save his son.  This incurs the vengeful wrath of a heartbroken Shawn as he mobilizes his entire organization to hunt down Jimmy and Mike.

Run All Night is not a flawless movie, but it isn’t an average dumb action movie either.  The plot is interesting, the character relationships have sophistication, and it has a heartfelt message.  There are a couple of notable action sequences and streetscape transitions that are beautifully shot.  And Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Ed Harris, and Vincent Philip D'Onofrio delivered great performances.  Moreover, Neeson was really into his role – unlike earlier this year in Taken 3where he was seemingly bored and tired of being Bryan Mills – probably because his character in Run All Night has, maybe, the most depth since his character in The Grey.

Run All Night is your typical Liam Neeson movie, but it’s the good, entertaining kind, and it’s a must watch for every Neeson fan who wants to wash away the bad taste of Taken 3.  

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Schwarzenegger Enthralls, ‘Maggie’ Does Not

In Maggie, the world is swept by a virus that gradually turns people into zombies.  Civilization hasn’t completely fallen, though there are signs of deterioration.  Hospitals, police, electricity, telephone, and broadcasting are still working to an extent.  Technology, however, is made simpler as exemplified by the appearances of a rotary dial telephone and a car cassette player during the story.  People that have the virus and in the early stage of zombification are allowed to be with their loved ones but are required to report for scheduled medical check-ups.  This arrangement lasts for a couple of weeks.  Once they are in the latter stage of turning into a zombie – wherein they’re already dangerous and contagious – they have to be brought to the quarantine zone, where a horrifying death awaits; police enforces this protocol and are sanctioned to use force if needed to make the infected and his or her family comply.

Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Wade Vogel, a farmer whose daughter, Maggie, is infected by the virus.  Wade does his best to make the most out of Maggie’s last days, and, at the same time, is tortured with deciding what to do with Maggie when time comes: bring her to the quarantine zone; administer the same injection given at quarantine to Maggie at home (which is excruciatingly painful); or make her death quick and painless.

Maggie does have a good premise and genuine emotional depth at times, but it felt it was trying too hard in making itself dramatic – sad piano music; grim, Man of Steel-like color grading; overwhelmingly melodramatic plot sequences; etc.  Thus, because of the artificiality, Maggie turned out to be dull and needlessly padded.  Its slow pace doesn’t help either.  Now, I appreciate slow pacing as long as it accomplishes something interesting – building tension well, fleshing out characters methodically, etc.  Maggie has none of that.  Thus, the result of the slow pacing is a generally boring narrative.  Come to think of it, if you remove the zombie element of the plot, the story is reduced to a drama about a family dealing with a teenage member suffering with a terminal condition.  Boring, depressing stuff.

However, Arnold Schwarzenegger saves this movie from being awfully tedious.  He made his name from being a science fiction/fantasy/action movie hero, so his dramatic turn in Maggie is pretty different from his usual roles.  Sure, there were scenes where he had to kill some zombies and fought with a cop – reminding us that that, at 68 years old, Schwarzenegger is still formidable – but what made his performance enthralling and praiseworthy is the surprising acting depth he displayed in portraying the anguish and love of a father whose daughter is on her way to a bleak ending, helpless to do anything about it, but would stop at nothing to protect her.

All in all, Maggie is a mediocre film at best.   Out of Schwarzenegger’s fine performance, and maybe a sequence or two, there’s nothing rewarding or fresh that can be taken from this movie.

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'Kids on the Slope' Is a Beautiful Piece on Jazz, Life, and Friendship

Set in the 1960’s, Kids on the Slope is a coming-of-age drama about high school friends that found joy and refuge in jazz while dealing with the struggles of youth.  The story primarily focuses on the bromance of Kaoru “Richie” Nashimi – a rich, academically achieving introvert – and Sentarō “Sen” Kawabuchi – who is basically the antithesis of Kaoru.  Despite being polar opposites, the two get to have a strong bond because of sharing a common love – jazz.

Kaoru is an adept classical pianist, but is initially not into jazz.    But, one day, he becomes intrigued with jazz music after listening to Sentarō’s drumming.  Kaoru buys a jazz record, starts to practice, and, from then on, he begins to love jazz and to regularly jam with Sentarō after class – he on the piano, and Sentarō on drums.  And as the story progresses, Kaoru and Sentarō develop fantastic rapport with each other.  Personally, I never thought before that a piano and a drum set are already enough to create such beautiful, full sound.   Listening to those two do just that blew me away.

Creating a “triangle” with Kaoru and Sentarō is Ritsuko Mukae.  Kaoru has feelings for Ritsuko, but Ritsuko has feelings for Sentarō.  However, despite this state of affairs, the three remain good friends (though, conflicts arise sometimes).

Ritsuko’s father, Tsutomu Mukae, owns a music shop, and its basement is where Kaoru and Sentarō would jam.  Occasionally, Tsutomu jams with them, as well as Junichi “Brother Jun” Katsuragi, a college friend whom Sentarō greatly looks up to; Tsutomu plays bass, and Brother Jun – a very talented musician – plays trumpet.

Eargasmic jazz music is a constant in Kids on the Slope.  The musicians that record the music behind the scenes really deserve to be praised.  And kudos as well to the people that drew and animated the scenes where the characters play their respective instruments with the appearance of thoroughness and authenticity.  As a result, I was really immersed into the music because there is no clumsy animation to distract me – the detail of the animation flawlessly matches the music being produced.

However, Kids on the Slope is not all about having fantastic taste in music.  It also has a heartfelt and thoughtful story to tell, with deep themes on friendship, making life decisions, young love, the sweetness and bitterness of life, and pursuing your dreams; and it features a profound metaphorical moral or two.  There is some complicated soap opera romance in it, which I find a little bit cheesy and heavy, but it’s appropriate to the narrative and intended message.

This anime series is created by the same people behind Cowboy Bebopso it’s no wonder that it’s something masterfully made.  Even if one doesn’t appreciate jazz music and/or teen drama, I believe he or she will still find this anime engaging.  It’s really worth checking out, and with only 12 episodes, it’s pretty easy to marathon.

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‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Doesn’t Have a Perfect Pitch

This sequel to the hit 2012 musical comedy basically has the same familiar elements of its predecessor: an anime universe*, likable but one-dimensional stereotypical characters, too many  a cappella puns, a cappella battles, and Rebel Wilson’s willingness to make fat jokes at her expense.  However, Pitch Perfect 2 is unable to hit the same high notes as the first one and wobbles in a few off-key parts (narratively speaking, of course).

The movie picks up three years after the events of Pitch Perfect.  Since then, the Barden Bellas are on a roll, having won three straight national championships.  Unfortunately, a scandal involving a screw-up by Fat Amy during a performance for President Obama’s birthday leads to the Bellas being suspended from competing in the collegiate level and stripped of their musical tour.  However, the Bellas are still qualified to compete in the world championship, and is given the opportunity to redeem themselves and be reinstated of their privileges if they win it.  So, the Bellas have to get their act together if they want to become the first American group in history to win the world championship.

Pitch Perfect 2 borrows noticeable plot points from its predecessor and also follows a clichéd plot outline that many other ensemble-in-a-competition – sports, dance, etc. – movies used; these absolutely harmed any attempt of originality.  The musical performances in the first movie are more entertaining in general, but I do like the Bellas’ opening performance here (the one which turned scandalous) over their championship-clinching finale performance in the first movie.  As for the humor, some hit the target, some miss, and some are just automatically cringe-worthy (there are probably a few subtle offensive jokes in there).

Pitch Perfect 2 has its fun moments and Anna Kendrick is a delight, as usual, but it’s objectively not as funny and unexpectedly gratifying as the original.  Nonetheless, it’s not a dull or disastrous film.  Those who liked the first movie will find this sequel pretty much watchable at the very least.

*In an anime series that is centered on a particular fad, sport, interest, competition, or theme, everyone in its world treats the subject as if it’s the biggest deal ever, regardless of its popularity in real life.  The Pitch Perfect universe is the same way with its treatment of a cappella.

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