Movies Out Today: Fairy Tale Avengers, Sassy Singing Heroines and an Oscar winner

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Three new movies hit South African cinemas today, offering something for pretty much the whole family.

Rise of the Guardians:
To coincide with the start of the Summer school holidays, there's this animated adventure. Screening in 2D and 3D, Rise of the Guardians is based on the book series by William Joyce. Basically it's the fairy tale Avengers, with all those icons of childhood belief - Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Sandman, Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) and Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman) - recruiting Jack Frost (Chris Pine) to stop the Boogeyman (Jude Law). Trailer Tuesday profile here.

Obviously intended to kickstart a profitable new franchise for DreamWorks Animation, Rise of the Guardians does or doesn't deliver on its potential, depending on which reviews you read. Some critics have celebrated it as a visual feast full of wonder and heart. Others have dismissed it as a cluttered, manic mess with a dull plot.  73% Fresh on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.



Pitch Perfect:
In the mood for a musical comedy with some of today's finest and funniest young actresses? Pitch Perfect stars Anna Kendrick as a disinterested college freshman who is forced to join a university club. She ends up in a dysfunctional, all-female a cappella group and shakes up the song set with her contemporary flair. Also with Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Elizabeth Banks.

Evidently you won't find anything surprising about Pitch Perfect's plot. However, it benefits from its appealing, talented cast and catchy musical numbers. It's been described as Glee meets Bring It On, with a touch of Bridesmaids.  77% Fresh.


A Separation:
Screening in limited release is this Iranian drama, which won the Best Foreign Language Film award at this year's Oscars, as well as dozens of other festival and critics' accolades. The movie centres on a middle-class family torn apart over the care needed for the husband's elderly father - who is suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. Starring Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi and Shahab Hosseini.

A Separation may sound like a generic made-for-TV drama, but apparently that couldn't be further from the truth. Boasting a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 99% Fresh, the film apparently is riveting, complex and unpredictable, exploring clashes of class, gender and belief.


Comments

Pitch Perfect Review said…
Loved Pitch Perfect, one of the best comedies of the year. Have watched it many times and it is great each time.
5:10 PM
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