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PITCH PERFECT (2012)Movie Reviews
Comedy about a college freshman who joins an eclectic group of girls fighting to take their singing group to the top of the world of college a cappella. Cast:Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Alexis Knapp, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Adam DeVine, Brock Vincent Kelly, Cameron Deane Stewart, David Del Rio, Freddie Stroma, Jacob Wysocki, Kether Donohue, Skylar Astin, Wanetah WalmsleyDirector:Jason MooreRelease Date:September 28, 2012DVD Release:December 18, 2012From:UniversalRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 52 min
Pitch Perfect (2012) played to very good reviews. • Monica Castillo wrote in the Boston Phoenix, "...has a great time despite a formulaic plot. If this is what it takes to erase 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie' from our collective memories, then so be it." • And Mara Reinstein wrote in Us Weekly, "...a big wad of fun." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...borrows from everywhere -- 'Bring It On,' 'Best in Show,' and every music-competition film ever made -- but still delivers a rocking time."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 106 words, 09/27/12
Mary Pols, Time: EXCELLENT "...spirited, irreverent, hugely fun... a tale of conversion, of rigid people on both sides of the fence -- that is, traditional and alternative -- loosening up and coming together..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,088 words, 09/27/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Cheeky and snarky but with an infectious energy... It's ridiculous and predictable but also just a ton of fun, so you may as well give up and give in..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 638 words, 09/27/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a big wad of fun.... it's droll Rebel Wilson -- playing the self-dubbed Fat Amy -- who earns a laugh every time she opens her mouth."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 121 words, 10/04/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD(cg) "...seesaws from cringeworthy to irresistible and back... the songs generate a hooky bliss. They're the chewy center of this ultra-synthetic hard candy."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 09/28/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...spoofy, sassy... too Auto-tuned and Hollywood fabricated... But it's still an aca-fun ride, and you can dance to it."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 394 words, 09/27/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "It's a twentysomething song-and-dance movie built around rival a cappella groups. That's more exciting than dueling string quartets, I suppose -- but no..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 09/28/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: WEAK(cg) "...there's no seeming concern for coherence or believability or any such thing as the movie flits from sex joke to sassy musical number to hackneyed observation..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 565 words, 09/26/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: MODERATE(cg) "...looks, sounds, and feels like pretty much every other movie that features a singing or dancing competition... the dramatic elements feel like warmed-over John Hughes."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 09/27/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: FAIR "...loaded with the plotting conventions of the Disney Channel's tweener shows.... occasionally funny and not at all illuminating about the rich world of a cappella singing."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 09/28/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...could have used a little more spontaneous spirit and a little less manufactured sass. What it has going for it, though, is an amiably enthusiastic cast."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 09/28/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "What helps offset the predictable in this very predictable movie is a series of show-stopping numbers... But the true saving grace is a few of the central players."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 708 words, 09/28/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a movie that's made to be obsessed over, seen 50 times, quoted as devoutly as such sacred texts as 'Heathers' and 'Bring It On.' "(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 571 words, 09/28/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "It's a twentysomething song-and-dance movie built around rival a cappella groups. That's more exciting than dueling string quartets, I suppose -- but no..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 666 words, 09/28/12
Laura Beck, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "It's the clever winks at the usual tropes that the movie does best, acknowledging its genre and then often blasting away expectations."(See all of Laura Beck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 10/10/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) " 'Pitch Perfect' is 'Bring It On' without the pom-poms and 'Drumline' without the percussion... the good outweighs the bad..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 09/28/12
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...celebrates the low-down raunchiness of girls being girls among girls, while delivering a snap-crackle-and-pop music catharsis.... Yes, rock is dead, but long live showbiz."(See all of Geoff Pevere's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 09/28/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...delightful... sets itself apart from the facile feel-goodery of 'Glee'.... celebrates the invention that drives artists to screw around with existing works."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 221 words, 09/27/12
KEY CITIES (11 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...when the movie just shuts up and lets us listen to these kids belt away, its goofy charms, like those of the music, are almost impossible to resist."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 532 words, 09/28/12
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Rebel Wilson steals everything in the movie that's not nailed down... she makes a pleasant enough college musical worth seeing just for her brass."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 09/28/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: WEAK(cg) "The comedy is off-key in this 'Glee'-inspired misfire... If you want fresh, creative laughs, well, there's nothing from this century here."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 176 words, 09/28/12
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...snarky, hilarious and human... takes a familiar template but then handles it in a way that is surprising... it's really hard not to leave the theater smiling."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 479 words, 09/28/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...nails the music-nerd obsessiveness... Mostly, the film leans hard on the lawlessness of the stout Australian Rebel Wilson..."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 464 words, 09/28/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "...a not-very-funny college comedy for tweens... You settle in, wanting to enjoy the whole experience. But 20 minutes in, you're wishing you could hit Shuffle."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 09/28/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Any movie that features a character calling herself Fat Amy has a pretty firm grip on irony. It helps that Fat Amy is played by Rebel Wilson ('Bachelorette,' 'Bridesmaids')..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 226 words, 09/28/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...what makes the film work are its funny one-liners, rousing music and oddball performances.... Not quite pitch perfect, but it's irresistible."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 246 words, 09/28/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "...harmonizes high-end performance with low-brow spoofery. It's like a National Lampoon parody where the targets write the jokes."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 329 words, 09/28/12
Adam Graham, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...doesn't take itself more seriously than it has to, and has plenty of fun both sending up and celebrating its subject matter. It's a laugh-out-loud party in the U.S.A."(See all of Adam Graham's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 362 words, 09/28/12
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the real highlights of the film are the upbeat musical numbers... If you're not grinning by the end of this light, funny crowd-pleaser, consider yourself tone deaf."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 474 words, 09/28/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Laura Beck, Village Voice/LA Weekly: VERY GOOD "It's the clever winks at the usual tropes that the movie does best, acknowledging its genre and then often blasting away expectations."(See all of Laura Beck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 10/10/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...once it gets going, there's absolutely no slowing it down, with Kay Cannon's script slinging one zinger after another... so hilarious you can't deny it."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 698 words, 09/26/12
Monica Castillo, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a great time despite a formulaic plot. If this is what it takes to erase 'Glee: The 3D Concert Movie' from our collective memories, then so be it."(See all of Monica Castillo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 153 words, 10/04/12
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) "Theoretically, the 'Bring It On' model can be applied to any remotely performative art.... 'Pitch Perfect' slaps that stencil onto college a cappella singing groups..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 09/27/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...treats the proceedings with adequate comic distance to enliven an otherwise cliché-ridden tale set against the exciting world of collegiate a cappella vocalizing."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 630 words, 09/25/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...delightful... sets itself apart from the facile feel-goodery of 'Glee'.... celebrates the invention that drives artists to screw around with existing works."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 221 words, 09/27/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: FAIR "...loaded with the plotting conventions of the Disney Channel's tweener shows.... occasionally funny and not at all illuminating about the rich world of a cappella singing."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 09/28/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "What helps offset the predictable in this very predictable movie is a series of show-stopping numbers... But the true saving grace is a few of the central players."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 708 words, 09/28/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...a cheeky delight.... upbeat crowdpleaser distinguishes itself with a saucy script and a flawless cast led by Anna Kendrick and a scene-stealing Rebel Wilson."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 833 words, 09/25/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...an enjoyably snarky campus romp that's both wildly nerdy and somewhat sexy.... snappy, smart-mouthed comedy with tons of music..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 575 words, 09/25/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "What helps offset the predictable in this very predictable movie is a series of show-stopping numbers... But the true saving grace is a few of the central players."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 708 words, 09/28/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...not necessarily anything special, but it makes a concerted effort to stay funny -- which, come to think of it, is something special in this day and age."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 09/21/12
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: FAIR "...loaded with the plotting conventions of the Disney Channel's tweener shows.... occasionally funny and not at all illuminating about the rich world of a cappella singing."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 172 words, 09/28/12
14.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Pitch Perfect (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 14.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Pitch Perfect (2012) (40 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Pitch Perfect (2012)'s reviews cover 86.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,202 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 455 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 2.4 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Pitch Perfect (2012)'s reviews on average broke 2.4 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Pitch Perfect (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Pitch Perfect (2012) (40 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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