Pitch Perfect 3 is the conclusion to a trilogy that honestly didn’t need one. I can’t precisely remember why I enjoyed the first two only to say that I did (according to my ratings on IMDb) but this one was pointless and even the music doesn’t overcome a disorganized plot, even though the cast at least seemed to be having a good time.
The Hollars is a well made family drama-comedy with several great performances but none better than Margo Martindale who is a true delight and should get an Oscar nomination out of this role. John Krasinski is a fine actor and is in his element with this material and as a director, isn’t flashy and lets the acting do the talking.
Get a Job is the quintessential movie that gathered dust on some shelf and finally saw the light of day courtesy of an On Demand or DTV release; it’s also telling that the film couldn’t get sold in spite of co-starring Anna Kendrick hot off of the success of Pitch Perfect. The final result is a laugh-less comedy with thinly written characters.
The Voices is certainly not a movie for everybody. The film is as dark of a comedy that has come down the pike in some time yet it further shows that Ryan Reynolds is actually a fairly versatile actor it’s just that the choice of certain projects hasn’t been the best. If you were a fan of “Dexter”, at least its early years, then this might be worth checking out if only as a Red Box rental.
Drinking Buddies is an interesting experimental movie where, outside of a plot outline, was improvised. It doesn’t make for the most energetic film but it at least doesn’t follow the typical Hollywood romantic comedy-drama and the performances by Wilde and Johnson actually aren’t bad.
End of Watch is one of the more uniquely shot films of 2012. It’s a mix of “found footage” style mixed with a gritty tone that Ayer is known for throughout his many cop-centric films. Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena turn in great performances and although the story is a bit weak, the character aspects make up for any shortcomings.
ParaNorman isn’t a perfect movie by any stretch and the story isn’t all that interesting, at least in the middle part, but one can’t help but admire the stop-motion technique and just what’s involved to make a 90-minute feature film. Along with the voice casting, the movie is absolutely fantastic to look at.