STACK Jun #128

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030 JUNE 2015 JB Hi-Fi
visit REVIEWS CINEMA
ALSO SCREENING
IN JUNE
The Park is back in business and that means, to
quote Dr. Ian Malcolm, "Oooh, ahhh... then later
there's running, and screaming". Jurassic World
looks to have all this, with aquatic dinosaurs,
pterodactyls, an Indominus Rex, and trained
raptors. Not sure how the last bit is going to
work, but Chris Pratt seems to have managed it;
he is an affable dude, after all. Will we still be
wowed by CGI 'saurs? We'll know on June 11.
JURASSIC WORLD
It's been a long time coming, but at last the
boys are back in town and up on the big screen.
Expect plenty of drama (real and Johnny) and
special guest stars on June 4.
ENTOURAGE
Expect more lowbrow laughs on June 25 when
Seth MacFarlane's trash-talking toy returns in the
company of Mark Wahlberg, Liam Neeson and
Morgan Freeman (who'll no doubt explain the plot).
TED 2
After stealing scenes in two Despicable Me
films, those cute yellow critters get a movie of
their own. Ever wondered what the hell they are
and where they came from? Find out June 18.
MINIONS
A h, collegiate a cappella – apparently
a “thing” over in America. Colleges
around the country form (sometimes
multiple) teams to fight their way to the top
of the instrument-free music world. Pitch
Perfect saw the debut of Anna Kendrick
as the “alt girl” who can sing, joining the
Barden University Bellas and taking them on
to win at the National Championships.
Now, the second time round, having lost
Anna Camp but gained Hailee Steinfeld as
a young Legacy, Kendrick is joined again by
Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Adam DeVine
and Skylar Astin to out-voice the competition.
With an opening performance by the
Bellas for Obama’s birthday, things don’t
quite go according to the arrangement, and
the Bellas find themselves disqualified from
competing at the collegiate level. That would
have been it for the film had podcasters
Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins
not offered to reinstate them, should they
win the International Championships. The
rest of the film follows the Bellas as they
journey to “find their sound” again, having
seemingly fallen into the trap of being showy
rather than, well, pitch perfect.
I’ve seen Pitch Perfect more times
than John Higgins’s character has been
misogynistic. I adored it. The mash-ups and
humour never really got old, and I could
watch it again and again and still laugh at
Judd Nelson jokes.
The best part about the sequel is it doesn’t
try to be anything else. Yes, it’s full of lame
jokes at the expense of the black lesbian. Yes,
Fat Amy is always the one making the jokes.
Yes, Bumper is still awkward. But it works.
Throw in some international competition and
a cameo from Snoop Dogg and I’m more out
of breath than Rebel Wilson vertical running.
Pitch Perfect 2 is a perfect sequel. It’s still
upbeat, it’s still unique, and it’s still itself.
A ca-awesome. Alesha Kolbe
The guy gets the girl, that kid sees dead people, Darth Vader is Luke’s
father... the Bellas win the International A Cappella Championships?
PITCH PERFECT 2 RELEASED: Now Showing
DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Banks
CAST: Anna Kendrick, Rebel
Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld
RATING: M