Is the Pitch still Perfect? - Review

Do movie sequels ever live up to their previous counterparts? Excluding your obvious franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games, not one sequel springs into mind that truly outshone its first production. Unfortunately, Pitch Perfect applies to this rule which I will now christen "The Sequel Curse". It's such a shame as a movie that contains all the much needed elements that young people enjoy these days like girl power, musical-type singing and dancing, odd yet heartwarming romances and seemingly improvised jokes should stand a chance of winning us over.

We pick up from the first installment a few years down the line with a refreshed Barden Bella accapella group who are ready to tour the country with their new found fame and success however after a disatorous performance for the President's birthday at the Lincoln Centre the girls are prohibited from further acapella duties. Nonetheless they discover a loop hole which will allow them to compete in the World Acapella Championships in Copenhagen. The Bellas must pull out all the stops to prove they are a worthy and respected acapella group as well as re-instating themselves in the acapella world.

Plausible enough plot to be understood and accepted by tween ages and above but it didn't hesitate to pick up unnecessary, not to mention odd sub-storylines along the way. The only interesting one involving showbiz all rounder Hailee Steinfeld as Emily, daughter of a Barden Bella legend who causes a stir and adds a new flavour to the group. More of her would have been perfect.

The comedy aspect is there from the get go but starts to grind on your sense of humor after a while. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) is a great character and provides the majority of the laughs but does eventually wear you down with the outlandish jokes. Elizabeth Banks, also the debut director of the movie, and her acapella competition commentator in crime have daringly yet thankfully stepped up the laughs in this sequel.

In whole, it was the actors (and the fee-good vibes) that really carried the picture well. Anna Kendrick has kept her well achieved positive Hollywood newcomer status intact and the Cameos were enjoyable. They did the best they could with what seemed an awkwardly written script. The questionable improvised lines didn't seem to go down too well with the audience though.

Slightly underwhelming yet entertaining and satisfying enough to last us until a possible Pitch Perfect 3?

Nicole Scherzinger - Boomerang (Single/Video Review)

Nicole Scherzinger's Boomerang is her yet to be released first single of her second studio album.

Now, I don't have a problem with the upbeat, empowering song at all. I will happily sing along when I hear it on the radio, but when I see it together with the video its a different story. Listening to it alone you dont expect Nicole to be the artist behind the vocals. To me it sounds alot more like Alesha Dixon (who is easier to imagine in the video too). I think Nicole deserves more of a sophisticated, heartfelt song. She definitely has the voice for it. This song is a pure waste to her unforgettable talent.

As for the video? Cringe. Only 20% of it is bareable to watch. I'm not quite sure what's gone on with the dodgy choreography and the tacky outfits. The video isn't as well thought through as I would've hoped.

Still a catchy song and one to stick in your head. Out March 10th.

Golden Globes 2013 - Top 3 Best Dressed & More!

As always, I tuned into E! to watch the Golden Globes Live on the Red Carpet. I was surprised not to see anyone too horrendously dressed this year, apart from the usual. There were a number of reds, black and neutral coloured dresses on the carpet as well as lots of fishtails, thigh-high slits and statement earrings. I tried to edit this down as much as possible but there were so many looks I wanted to feature in this post.

My Top 3

Kate Hudson
This dress is so classy. I absolutely love the black and gold together which is really on trend. The cut out keeps it sexy. I just can't get over the fact that she didn't wear her hair up so she could show off the gold neck detailing properly. It all seems to have gone to waste. Apart from that one fault, its a beautiful dress which has a nice length and fits perfectly.


Nicole Richie
I'm not usually a big fan of Nicole Richie's style but she worked this dress to the fullest. The pastel blue colour is gorgeous and clashes with the red carpet itself so makes her stand out even more. The detailing is just so pretty its hard not to fall in love with it. She matched her make up with her dress exactly. Blue eyeshadow is a very daring thing to wear but because she keeps it simple and not OTT it compliments the whole look and brings out her eyes. Even though it's not noticably terrible I don't know why she would use that tassely clutch. Love the sleek classy hairstyle and the pale lips.



Lea Michele
This is a very safe dress. It reminds me of something I would wear if I ever got the amazing opportunity to walk down a red carpet. I like the fact it's a sort of off-white colour and the fabric is stunning. I'm not a fan of the wedding type shoe although she was heading down the right path with a dainty heel. The emerald earrings is something you wouldn't expect to be paired with the dress but gives it a special personal touch. She was right to keep her hair down with the halter-neck else it would have made her shoulders look too broad I think.

Two very similar looks on the carpet...

Zooey Deschanel & Jennifer Lawrence!

I can't imagine what a nightmare it would be turning up on the night in a very similar dress to one of your fellow celebs. These two looks have been automatically compared. My favourite dress is Zooey Deschanel's. I was amazed at how she managed to keep it held up and not even look worried about it possibly falling down and revealing all! However, Zooey's dress seems to have a bit too much material, or depending on how you see it, she may have been going for the luxurious full look. I wasn't sure about Jennifer's pointy bust and bottom half of the dress. From this picture it looks like it needs a little ironing. On the plus side, her hair was done beautifully and her earrings are lovely.

Must See Looks!

Taylor Swift
I was looking forward to seeing what she wore the most! Its something so different to her usual sparkly, girly numbers. I love the colour and the matching earrings but theres another ironing malfunction on the carpet. So the material may be non-ironable but there must be some way to straighten out the fishtail. The creases on her waist make it look like it hasn't been altered properly for it to fit. Im glad she's gone for a very different look and she pulled it off with confidence.



Adele
It's good to see Adele looking so good after having Baby (the name which she refuses to reveal!). Hair and make up are done perfectly as usual. The dress? Boring. We've seen it all before. Yawn.



Emily Blunt
This was very close to being included in my Top 3 but I decided it wasn't special enough. It's an exquisite dress though, love the cut out detail, the colour and the statement earrings!

Amelia Lily - Shut Up (And Give Me What you Got) (Single/Video Review)

2011 X Factor finalist Amelia Lily is to release a second single from her album early next year. The song has an added spark and attitude that You Bring Me Joy didn't have. She seems to be alot more comfortable in rock chick mode.

The darkish setting of the video reminds me of Miley Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed. However that was a few years ago now and I'm sure her fans are open to something new. The vibe is fresh and everyones able to sing along. Its just a shame she had to put on the American accent to make it like every other Teen artist in the states. It would be nice if she kept to her British roots and wasn't made to be too Americanised.

As I heard the song before seeing the video I was glad to see something that matched the song visually. Full of Girl Power. As for her vocals? Can't be faulted really. Look forward to seeing it in the UK Top 5 as least.

I wouldn't be too surprised if she goes down the Cher Lloyd route of trying to take over the US. We could then possibly await the release of a song with Amelia Lily featuring Owl City or Adam Lambert?

What to Expect When You're Expecting (Review)

Usually I'm not too fussed about an all-star cast because I sometimes think they were all shoved into one film, to draw in an audience and it never seems to end well. However I was quite surprised at the turn out of this Rom-Com. Not only did we have A-listers such as Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Dennis Quaid but we had up and coming actors such as Anna Kendrick (who's performance was also notably high quality in cop movie, End of Watch) and Rebel Wilson. The mix of cast made it spot on in the middle of overwhelming and underwhelming.

As I didn't know beforehand, the film is based on the New York Times bestselling book with the same title. We follow couples in various different stages in their pursuit and journey to parenthood. We get to see a range of challenges such as the difficulties of getting pregnant, the complications of adoption and the heartbreaking trauma of miscarriage. Everything in the film is dealt with appropriately but the light-hearted humour makes it particularly enjoyable. The characters are likable, believable and not too over played like in some Rom-Coms. You've got to love the park-walking Dads (which includes comedian Chris Rock) with their all-function buggies and baby carriers reflecting this new era of "stay at home Dads". Cameos from Cheryl Cole and a couple of others give the film an orginal edge too.

Dont bother watching if your're expecting a deep & meaningful, touching story. And I wouldn't bother watching if you're sitting at home pregnant yourself either. You' probably end up screamimg at the TV at the whining, leaking, hormone raging Elizabeth Banks wanting to ask her what the hell she was expecting! A good watch on a Saturday night with your girls. If you like that sort of thing.

Angel - Time After Time (Single/Video Review)

Versatile Angel knows how to create a beautiful song with touching lyrics. His melodic, soothing voice does the song a whole load of good too. Be prepared to be instantly in love with this tune.

Its your typical heartbreak, "I will never be able to find someone else like you, so please take me back" kind of song but somehow Angel and the video do it so classically. Its got your usual cutesy collection of Angel and the pretty, innocent girlfriend scenes cuddling and playfighting. Cheesy. But you can't deny that you love it. The sudden change between seeing them together and watching them fight and the other girls he'd been with previously is what really connects you to the song. The video is refreshing, very real and also includes an appearance of Conor Maynard.

Make sure you take note of the down to earth lyrics and the instrumental which is particularly nice as it hasn't been too over-worked.

I have to some this song up as effortlessly beautiful.

Emmy Awards - Top 3 Best Dressed!

I was able to catch some of the Emmy Awards Live on the Red Carpet on E! last night. I loved their new idea of the Mani-Cam (a mini red carpet for the celebs perfectly manicured fingers)...

Here are my top three best dressed, not in any order...

Heidi Klum

Heidi looked effortlessly stunning in a sea-foam thigh-high slit gown. Her sunkissed skin and minimal make up complimented the dress perfectly. I like the fact we can see her cleavage but it isn't too in-your-face. I'm glad she didn't do anything too complicated with her hair and accessories as she already looks classy enough. Love the colour and she really rocked the high slit!

Sofia Vegara

This is one of the dresses that really stood out for me on the night. The dress has really shown off Sofia's curvy figure. Its a very unusual but exciting colour and the material almost reminds me of a mermaids tail. It was a good idea to keep her hair down her back instead of over the shoulders which would have made the front look messy and take away the attention from the lovely reverse halter. She kept it simple with silver earrings and a matching bracelet which brought out the silvery tones in the dress. The dress did unfortunately give way and split but was quickly pinned back together, just after she tweeted the revealing picture of the broken zip which was positioned on her bum!

Claire Danes

I absolutely LOVE this dress. Its plain and simple yet so elegant. You might take one look at it and think "boring", but if you look at it in detail the material picks up the light nicely and has a really luxurious look about it. It sits on her chest nicely and tucks in at her waist creating pleats which give her the right amount of curve. It very rare for blondes to pull off yellow however he blonde has made her look fresh and fun. I also love how a subtle smokey eye has been used which is again rare for blondes to do. In a way, the whole look is daring but Claire has done it well.