Katy Perry: Part of Me 2012

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: What is there of interest for non-Katy-Perry fans? Not a whole lot... Still, I was hardly bored. Read more

A.O. Scott, New York Times: "Part of Me" will never be mistaken for "The Red Shoes" (though Ms. Perry has some of those, as well as every other color), but her negotiation of the painfully competing demands of stardom and marriage is undeniably poignant. Read more

Andrew Matson, Seattle Times: You realize the main drama of the movie - and Perry's career - is not that she has any special artistic talent, but rather the drive to take on an insane workload and see it through to the bitter end. Read more

Genevieve Koski, AV Club: Part Of Me often feels like the offspring of E! True Hollywood Story and an infomercial for Katy Perry Inc. Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: I'm not sure what I was expecting from "Katy Perry: Part of Me," but I know it wasn't this: a pleasant surprise. Read more

Mark Shanahan, Boston Globe: Just like it says, "Part of Me" is one aspect of Perry, but her fans may leave the movie wanting more. Read more

Jake Coyle, Associated Press: As artificial as much of the apparatus surrounding Perry may be, none of it works without her charisma at the center. That comes through in "Part of Me," as does her intense drive to succeed after early failures. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: I find Perry likable in her camera-friendliness. Read more

Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News: I gained respect for Perry, her work ethic and personal rediscovery. Read more

Adam Graham, Detroit News: "Part of Me" is more electronic press kit than fly-on-the-wall documentary. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: Part of Me works hard to prove it's more than a glorified infomercial, and one reason it is more is that Perry has a startling story to tell. Read more

Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: A mix of interviews, reality-TV style behind-the-scenes footage and 3D concert scenes, the movie is attractively, if conventionally, assembled. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: As one record executive put it, for too long the industry tried to make Katy Perry into something or someone else. The secret, which "Part of Me" captures quite nicely, was to just let her be. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: I'm willing to believe Perry is everything "Part of Me" says she is: kind, smart, talented, hardworking, deserving of success. I just wish the movie trusted me to decide for myself. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: [It] goes a bit beyond the usual music documentaries, which rarely document anything beyond how beloved their stars are. Read more

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: Perry may be the world's most high-profile tease, but she sure knows how to show us a good time. Read more

Sara Stewart, New York Post: Ever the professional, the pop star has surrounded herself with people who know how to make a tour work - but none of them seem well-equipped to give a heartbroken 27-year-old girl a much needed hug. Read more

David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: What is worth seeing - and shelling out the 3-D premium for - is Perry's eye-popping showmanship. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Any self-produced documentary about oneself is bound to be a propaganda film, but "Katy Perry: Part of Me" is a good one, and a persuasive one. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: We're left with zero sense of what she's really like as a granddaughter, sister, boss, or friend. Read more

Kara Nesvig, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Part of Me" succeeds because it's not afraid to let its big star be vulnerable. Read more

Kevin C. Johnson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Surely there are more interesting subjects, but Perry manages to pull it off here, coming off completely likable and real, never insufferable and fake. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: The trudging devotion to formula would be more forgivable if Part of Me did a better job at capturing what's ostensibly the point of the documentary: Katy Perry's music. Read more

Danielle Goldstein, Time Out: You may go for the story, but the performances and quirks leave you with an experience. Read more

Alison Willmore, Time Out: The 3-D performance footage is impressively lavish, though the film's unending idolization of the amiable singer will quickly exhaust all but the most devoted fans. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: There's nothing new or radical in those ideals - learning to accept yourself, not taking life too seriously - but they are messages that resonate with her young fans, female and male, and that's not at all a bad thing. Read more

Edna Gundersen, USA Today: It's difficult to assess the authenticity of Perry's big-screen portrait, shaped by handlers, friends, family and gushing Katy Kats. But her zeal, geeky enthusiasm and generous spirit feel genuine. Read more

Karina Longworth, Village Voice: You never get the sense that the camera was ever allowed to see anything that Perry didn't want it to see. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Although there are moments when the filmmakers' fingerprints are nearly visible on the manipulated putty of an audience, the scenes aren't enough to break the fruit-flavored spell. Read more