Katy Perry: Part of Me

Katy Perry: Part of Me is a commercial, not a diary entry -- and it sticks, far too often, to an already-decided-upon script.

We're left with zero sense of what she's really like as a granddaughter, sister, boss, or friend.

[It] isn't so much a movie as a canny, inoffensive slice of brand management and marketing. And as such, it's not half bad.

Like that recent Justin Bieber documentary, Part of Me proves to be a surprisingly digestible entertainment.

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.

While Part of Me reveals a number of personal moments, the most endearing are the silly ones...

Like fans at a concert, the movie and its audience are a feedback loop of shrieking adoration for a figure who's probably tired of them. And hot diggity damn, is it riveting to watch.

I'll concede it all probably went down easier for me because I'm a fan of her work, but I think this is a good enough that you don't have to know any of her music to appreciate her story.

Works in this genre can be rollercoasters of bliss and sadness and awkwardness and pain. "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" plays more like an infomercial.