Pitch Perfect sings its own tune

By Moira Macdonald FILM: Pitch PerfectCAST: Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks.DIRECTION: Jason Moore “A-ca-scuse me?” says Aubrey (Anna Camp), leader of the choir group The Bellas; she, like nearly everybody in the cheerful teen comedy Pitch Perfect, is obsessed with a cappella singing.Taking place at Barden University — populated by perfectly coifed students who apparently never study — the movie’s about Beca (Anna Kendrick), a cute sort-of loner and would-be music producer who finds a home with The Bellas and with what one character scornfully refers to as “organised nerd singing.” The group, as we learn in the opening scenes, is particularly driven to win the Big Contest (ie the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella), after messing up spectacularly last year.Things unfold in predictable fashion (Beca’s comment, “I don’t like movies; they’re so predictable” notwithstanding), but what makes Pitch Perfect work are its funny one-liners, rousing music and oddball performances. Kendrick, who I’ve long suspected to be a character actress hiding in ingenue form, uses her slightly metallic, brittle quality to give Beca an interesting tension; Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) continues her weirdly effective shtick of saying her lines as if the words have been randomly rearranged; Hana Mae Lee is a scream as meek choir member Lilly, who keeps murmuring things that the others can’t quite hear (e.g. Do you guys want to see a dead body?); and John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks punctuate the film to good comic effect as a pair of so-serious-they’re-funny competition commentators.Not quite pitch perfect, but it’s irresistible. — The Seattle Times/MCTThird sequel full of wimpy fareBy Michael Phillips FILM: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysCAST: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron and Devon BostickDIRECTION: David Bowers Why are the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies so much less fun, and funny, than the best of the books created by Jeff Kinney?On the page, Kinney’s illustrations, those stick-figure humiliations and angsty margin doodles allegedly drawn by the exasperated protagonist, Greg Heffley, hold the key to why Wimpy Kid took off with so many millions of young and angsty seekers of humiliation comedy. Perpetual, grinding setbacks and massive, why-me? preteen injustices are more amusing in stick-figure form.Somehow all that snark, all those red-faced setbacks, turn to indistinct and slightly sour mush in a live-action setting. Kids are going to go to the films regardless. But it’s too bad these movies aren’t livelier.The first two films (modestly budgeted, and rightly so) did well, so here we have Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, a conflation of books three and four. The narrative requires fretful, dissembling Greg to lie throughout, about big things and little things, and then to pay the price, before learning a lesson or two about being a less fretful, dissembling version of himself. I found the results about as cheering as The Dark Knight Rises, mainly because the craft is so slovenly and routine.Greg is played once again by the talented Zachary Gordon, now with newly changed voice. It’s summer vacation, and Greg wants only to spend his days video gaming. But Dad (Steve Zahn) has plans to school Greg in the wonders of Wilderness Explorers camping; his mom (Rachael Harris) starts up a Little Women book club; and Greg’s pal Rowley (Robert Capron, straight from playing young Curly in the recent Three Stooges movie) sneaks Greg into his country club so Greg can be around Holly (Peyton List), the nice girl who teaches tennis, and whose older sister is such a bully you keep waiting for the moment when smiling, patient Holly snaps and the police are called.As directed by David Bowers (who did the second film), the movie never finds the heightened state of comic anxiety that fuels the books. The actors, many of them excellent, pop their eyes and prolong their reactions and their timing goes flooey. Here and there, in the father/ son scenes, you see a glimmer of an honest interaction.All in all, I’d rather watch a Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide rerun. — Chicago Tribune/MCTA kickin’ good timeBy Shanee Edwards FILM: Wang DuCAST: Vincent Zhao, Mini Yang, Fan Siu-wong, Dennis To, Josie Xu, Shaun TamDIRECTION: Patrick Leung Set in the 1920s, Tang Ning (Josie Xu) a teenage girl with a dark secret, sets out with her father, Professor Tang Yunlong (Vincent Zhao) to compete in a martial arts competition. Young Tang Ning is a great fighter, but winning the championship will be the biggest challenge of her life, given that she’s plagued by a rare genetic disorder.On their way to Wu Dang mountain, father and daughter stop off to help an acquaintance Paul Chen (Shaun Tam) identify an ancient sword that, according to legend, is made from meteoric stone and has magical powers.Professor Ning determines the sword is a fake, but finds a treasure map in the sword’s case. After stealing the treasure map, the professor barely escapes with his life.Once at the Daoist monastery so high in the mountains, which looks like another world, the competition begins. Tang Ning’s fabulous moves are a mix of kung fu, tai chi, and break dancing. Her spin-kick is so dynamic, she bruises much more than men’s egos.There is another woman in the competition, however, who may be Tang Ning’s match. Her name is Tian Xin (Mini Yang) who is not only stunningly gorgeous, but also happens to be a member of the clan who owned the magical sword years ago.Instead of fighting Tang Ning, Tian Xin decides to team up with Tang Ning’s dad and search the mountain for its many fabled treasures. Turns out, she’s not the only one with a treasure map.The fighting style in this film is uniquely Chinese for its expression of so much more than anger or competition. Like dance, the fight choreography expresses romance and love as well as respect and hierarchy.Shot high up in the mountains of central Asia, the ancient sites seem otherworldly as the clouds sit like gods amongst the monasteries, watching the fighters.While Tang Ning does get embroiled in a romance, the true love story here is between father and daughter. Once dad finds the magic sword, he’ll do anything to save his daughter.Bottom line: This movie is filled with fun martial arts, strong female characters, and great scenery. If martial arts is your thing, you’ll love this movie. — courtesy www.sheknows.com(DVDs courtesy:  Saqr Entertainment Stores, Doha)