Pitch Perfect 2: A bit out of tune...

They're BAAAACCCKKKKK! I was really looking forward to this movie. The original was very very good and it was quite the surprise. I remember not even being interested in the original until my college roommate forced me to watch it. I'm so glad he did because the movie was the funniest movie of that year and was a complete shock. Who knew that a movie making fun of a cappella could be so funny.

So that said, I was also worried. I'm not a big fan of comedy sequels and in general think they are a mistake. Too many times they just rehash the previous movie and make the gags/jokes more outlandish (See The Hangover 2 and 3). So I had the same worry about this movie.

As for the film itself I thought it was absolutely hilarious! I was laughing pretty much throughout the film. They didn't go with grotesque moments for cheap laughs which was a plus. The original did a few times and I never liked it. This movie was consistently funny and I honestly had a good time. Each character had their moment to shine and be funny. One of the best gags was the appearance of the Green Bay Packers and Clay Matthews singing in a a cappella duel. It was great. Once again Anna Kendrick was absolutely wonderful and really funny and engaging. Rebel Wilson also shines and was featured more than before. For the most part that is a good thing, but I wish they would have done more than sex and fat jokes with her. She can do way more.

Yes this movie was funny and a good time, but there were still some serious problems with it. One of my biggest problems with this film was the story. Even with the original being funny, its story was simple, made sense, and drove the movie forward. The odd group of girls came together to achieve a unified goal. This film seemed devoid of that unity. They get banned from the competition for something stupid, but have this odd loophole where they could regain their position if they win the world championship, which no American team had ever won before. If this had been the only motivation in the movie, that would have been great. Show the girls working together to accomplish this goal with shenanigans ensuing. But instead they added so much more. They introduced a rival group to add tension and another obstacle for the girls. First off this group wasn't funny. They were more annoying than good/entertaining/funny/ or useful. They felt more like a distraction. Another side story that was added that didn't feel authentic was the love story between Bumper and Amy. It didn't feel real and took screen time away for more important moments. I felt it was a waste of time an a distraction.

The addition of Hailee Steinfeld as Emily was welcome to add new blood to the group, but her meandering story-line and pointless love interest was distracting. She was funny as a wide-eyed newbee, which should have been her main role, and I loved how she was involved in helping Becca succeed at her new job. The love story distracted from her role in the group and was pointless. Plus it took significant screen time away from the relationship that had been built in the first movie between Becca and Jesse.

This series' main character and entry point for the audience is Becca played by Anna Kendrick. Just like the first movie, she has a side story along with the main plot. This should have been the only side plot in the movie. I really like it. Her story of trying to make it in the music industry was great. It was the perfect continuation of her story. Her interactions at the office were some of the best scenes and her boss was hysterical. Perfect writing and casting. My problem with Becca's storyline in this movie sat with the continuation of her relationship with Jesse. He appeared but didn't play a significant role at all. This movie was about the girls and it needed to be, but Jesse's use in this movie was a waste. If they are going to take the time to put him in the movie, they should have used him. It would have been better if he just wasn't in the movie at all and they wrote him off some how. All the other nonsense plot lines took valuable time away from the Becca/Jesse relationship which the audience actually cared about. Looking at this movie though, Jesse just shouldn't have been in the movie. Becca's story needed to be about her succeeding as a music producer, which it was. Jesse played no role and shouldn't have been around. I also wish they would have explored the conflict between Becca's career goals and her goals as a Bella more. They touched on it, but they could have made it more powerful and given the group a stronger reaction to it. I thought the problem was solved too simply. It needed more juice.

Overall, I thought the movie's plot was spotty and not connected well. Some parts were redeeming, but it felt disjointed with parts that didn't really need to be there. The film was packed with jokes, so it seems that the writers were more focused on putting in more jokes than streamlining the plot. Too many subplots can damage a movies flow, and I am a strong believer in simpler is better. This film needed a simpler plot. But it was really funny. I thought every joke was executed with precision and hit. I was laughing a ton and honestly had a good time at the movies. This movie was fun, and that is honestly all one should expect from a comedy, especially a comedy sequel. I really enjoyed myself. This is one of those movies which reminds you how much fun going to a movie can be. It doesn't matter if the plot is confusing or even non existent. A fun, funny, intelligent film can be just what you need to relax and have a great time. I would give this movie a solid 6/10. I have seen better, but I definitely have seen much much worse. This was the perfect summer comedy with a killer cast.

Avengers Age of Ultron: Spoiler Review of a Fun Superhero Movie

Here in the UK, Avengers has been in theaters for two weeks, and I have seen the movie twice already. It is incredibly fun and a great summer blockbuster and I really enjoyed it. But I have to say that this is not my favorite Marvel movie and definitely not the best of them, but it is definitely not the worst either. In fact it is probably the best of the second tier of Marvel movies. Here is how I would order the marvel movies:

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (5/5)
2. The Avengers (4.85/5)
3. Iron Man (4.8/5)
4. Guardians of the Galaxy (4.5/5)
5. Avengers Age of Ultron (See bottom)
6. Iron Man 3 (4/5)
7. Thor (3.75/5)
8. Thor The Dark World (3.5/5)
9. The Incredible Hulk (3/5)
10. Captain America (2.5/5)
11. Iron Man 2 (2/5)

After getting that out of the way, Avengers Age of Ultron is a good movie. I really enjoyed it. There was a ton going on in this movie and Joss Whedon and his team had a tremendous challenge and they did the best job that they could have done in these circumstances. Whedon was in a tough spot. He had to set up a Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and conclude Phase 2 while creating a compelling story that gave each characters moments to shine and grow. He had to add new characters to the group and had to build up a new villain. Like i said, he had a lot to do. Overall, I thought he did a great job. Joss is moving on and will not direct any more movies for Marvel and I wish him the best. I would love if he continued, but it takes a lot of work and he wants to do more independent projects. I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

As for the movie there were a few things I did not like. I really thought that the movie was going to be darker than it was. I was convinced that a major Avenger would be killed during the movie and thought this would give a lot of emotional weight to this film. In the end the new Avenger Quicksilver sacrifices himself to save Hawkeye, and it was an emotional moment, but I thought a main hero would have been more impactful. The movie really needed to raise the stakes and I felt that the stakes weren't as high as they could have been. The death should have come in the second act of the film instead of the third. If it was in the second, there is a question if the rest of the team would have survived. Superhero movies are predictable in a way that the heroes will always survive, so I thought it would have been nice to change it up. Quicksilver did end up dying and it was a significant moment, but I thought it could have been better. That was my big problem. I just don't think the film had high enough stakes.

The film included tons of things I did expect. The banter between the team was great. Tony Stark had a quick wit and the team constantly were shooting barbs at each other. The entire movie was filled with gags and jokes. I was worried that the movie wouldn't have a lot of jokes, but it was filled with them. If you don't pay attention, you might even miss some. It was really really funny.

The movie starts off with an intense battle sequence where the Avengers take down the HYDRA base and Baron Von Strucker. The first time I saw this it was awesome, but I did feel a little disoriented. I wasn't really sure what was going on, why the team was there, and why Strucker had Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. It was just a little confusing. However, I saw the movie again this weekend after I saw last week's episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and the I viewed the beginning of the movie in a whole new light. It answered all of my questions and was the perfect set up for this movie. That is one of the benefits of the connected universe. It allows for Marvel to set up their movies without wasting time in the actual movies.

There wasn't much development for Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man. The three of them were themselves and their characters didn't really grow. The main focus for those characters was surviving this film and setting up their next adventures in Thor Ragnorok and Captain America Civil War. The only character development in this movie was between Tony Stark and Ultron. Tony tries to build an AI that will protect the world. He accidentally succeeds and creates Ultron. Ultron takes a dark interpretation of his mission and believes that to protect the world he must destroy it. Ultron really is what Tony Stark would be if he was a bad guy. He is very smart, very witty, and charismatic. Ultron is Tony's dark side and the interplay between the characters is great. Ultron could have used a little more development I thought and I think he could have been more menacing, but there was just not enough time.

I loved the development for both Bruce Banner and Black Widow. They were involved in a love story. I loved how they had vulnerable moments. Black Widow's reveal that she had been sterilized was heartbreaking and you realize that both character are very damaged and view themselves as monsters. You can really see that both characters really care for each other but are also having trouble being vulnerable. Natasha really tries to break down Bruce's emotional barriers, but Bruce puts up a fight. In the end Bruce runs off because he believes that he is too dangerous and wants to protect Natasha. I believe that Natasha really understands Bruce's reasoning even though he left without her. Based on her final scene with Nick Fury, I think she just wants to find Bruce and bring him back. I'm really interested in seeing where this storyline is going.

Then there is the addition of Vision, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. I loved these characters. We didn't see much of Vision because he was introduced at the beginning of the third act. But he was really interesting. He is a naive character with a very good moral compass. Thor trusts him, as he can lift Thor's hammer. The gag revolving around the hammer was great and it was a great way to clearly show that Vision is a good character. Quicksilver was very interesting. I thought he was funny and you really understood his reasoning for his actions. He also grew up in the film. As the movie progressed, he realized his misguided ways and then in the end made the ultimate sacrifice and was killed in the process of saving Hawkeye and a child. It was a beautiful progression and I was surprised how much I cared for this character. Even though Quicksilver was an awesome addition, Scarlet Witch was the best addition to this franchise, and maybe Marvel yet. I love this character. She follows a similar arc to Quicksilver, but also is afraid. That fear crystalizes during the final battle and Hawkeye gives her this great pep talk. She eventually emerges and is amazing. She is so strong willed and incredibly powerful. I think Scarlet Witch has the potential to be the most powerful hero we have seen yet. Plus I though Elizabeth Olsen was captivating in this role. She was amazing. I loved every second she was on screen. She played the role perfectly. I absolutely love this character and can't wait to see her again. Elizabeth Olsen and Scarlet Witch completely blew me away.

With all of this, the stand out feature of this movie was Hawkeye. I am the first to admit that I have not been a fan of Hawkeye. I never really understood his role on the team. In Thor he had a minor role and then in Avengers he was a mind controlled zombie for most of the movie. When standing next to the others, he never really fit. I didn't understand his motivations for being an Avenger. It seemed like he was almost a sidekick trying to be a hero. That completely changes with this movie. They really developed his character in this movie. You find out he is married with children with another on the way. You realize that he is on the Avengers to protect his family and he feels responsible for the team. He became the glue for the team. He is almost a father figure for the Avengers. He has moments with most of the characters and his interaction with his wife is really revealing. His character also developed through his dialogue. You really got into his head. He had moments where he referenced his dislike of mind control. He quips about not having super powers and being left behind but Quicksilver. His talk with Scarlet Witch was brilliant. He realizes that it is absurd that he is on this team and using a bow and arrow. With this movie he becomes the common man's entrance into this team. Before it was Coulson and now it is Hawkeye. This movie did a great job growing this character, who was the least developed character in the entire franchise. I can now officially say that I am a fan of Hawkeye. I love this character now. The film also kept teasing that he was going to die to the point where I was convinced it was going to happen up until Quicksilver died. I really thought Hawkeye was going down and was relived when he didn't. The development was great. This movie almost became the Hawkeye movie.

Overall, this movie was really fun. It's story was complex but was consumable because the characters were very good. Everyone got a moment and the film was just loaded with gags and memorable moments. It was a pure, fun superhero movie that did a great job tying up Phase 2 and opening Phase 3. I cannot wait to see what comes next. I give this movie a 4.25 out of 5.