Review: Pitch Perfect 2 – Still in key

Pitch Perfect 2

While Pitch Perfect had a modest box office gross, it received a much larger life in home video through word of mouth advertising by those who were pleasantly surprised at it’s funny lines and charming pop mashups. Considering Anna Kendrick’s “Cups” is still in regular rotation on top 40 stations, it’s not a surprise that a sequel was conceived.

Pitch Perfect 2 catches up with the Bellas in the world of competitive college a Capella singing. All your favorites from the first are back and the gang even adds a new face to their harmonies, Hailee Steinfeld.

The sequel clings to much of the shtick of the first movie. There’s a love story, silly jokes, ridiculously off-color commentary from Elizabeth Banks (aka the movie’s director this time around) and John Michael Higgins, a great underground battle that includes a few interesting cameos, a catchy new feature song that’s probably going to replace “Cups”, and of course great pop a Capella.

The good; if you loved the first movie, you probably won’t be disappointed with this one. The final performance by the Bellas showcases their best moves and notes. Even if we know there’s plenty of processing that makes the Bellas sound so great, they’re still a treat to watch.

The rivals to the Bellas, Das Sound Machine, bring laughs to the audience simply by sincere insults that become lost in translation. I especially love their rendition of Muse’s “Uprising”.

You’ll also want to check out all the credits for a great bonus.

The bad; this isn’t a perfect sequel. Let’s just say if there was an extended cut with more commentary, I’d stick with the theatrical cut.

The movie also seems to wander around who the main character is. It seemed like Hailee Steinfeld could only be the lead if Anna Kendrick wasn’t around and I was left confused over which character deserves more credit for the group’s success. Perhaps they are equally important in the end.

Overall, I doubt this one will meet the expectations people have who really enjoyed the original. If you were surprised at how great the 21 Jump Street sequel was, Pitch Perfect 2 will probably remind you of how hard it is the raise the bar.

It’s good and doesn’t stray away much from the formula that made the first Pitch Perfect a hit. The movie has already made a respectable earning, even running away with more sales than Mad Max in it’s first weekend. Are audiences burned out from the Bellas or will they simply demand more for the third installment?

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