Pitch Perfect 2, 2015.
Directed by Elizabeth Banks.
Starring Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Adam DeVine, Kelley Jakle, Chrissie Fit, Hailee Steinfeld, Katey Sagal and Elizabeth Banks.
SYNOPSIS:
After a humiliating command performance at Lincoln Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform.
Back in 2012 we were introduced to the first Pitch Perfect. From the trailers it looked like it could be the movie version of Glee, which could have been a good or bad thing, or it could have been an absolute train wreck. Surprisingly enough the film turned out to be extremely funny and went on to become a huge hit with critics and audiences. After so much success it was inevitable there would be a sequel which, when it comes to comedies, isn’t always a good thing. Sure, every once in a while you get something like 22 Jump Street, but that is a rare occurrence. However, Pitch Perfect 2 might just be in that same category.
This time around we continue to follow the Barden Bellas and they have become quite popular since the end of the last film. So popular in fact that they get to perform in front of the President and his wife. Unfortunately for them something goes haywire that causes Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) to flash everyone at the event and this prevents the Bellas from performing anymore. Through a loophole in the fine print they are able to enter an international competition that no American team has ever won, so the Bellas must whip themselves into shape to take on some of the best acapella groups in the world.
Going into this film I had my reservations. The trailers looked appealing but given the fact that it’s a sequel, especially a comedy sequel, I certainly had my doubts. Thankfully I wasn’t let down and once again we get another surprisingly entertaining film. Elizabeth Banks, who plays Gail, has taken over behind the camera as the director and she does a bang up job in her directorial debut. It also helps that the majority of the cast from the previous film is back again and everybody is on their game.
The cast was such a delight to watch in the first film and it’s great to see them all back together again. All the girls in the Bellas have great chemistry together and it’s fun to watch them all play off one another. We get to see some great performances of plenty of classic songs as well as some newer ones that some might not be as familiar with. They manage to keep everything fresh without doing too many callbacks to the first film while still giving fans everything they loved about the first one.
Unfortunately there are a few drawbacks here that can’t be overlooked. The film does feel a bit too long at 115 minutes; there were some scenes that could have been cut down a little and the film could have been about 15-20 minutes shorter. Another part that felt like a little much was the character of Flo. While there are a few jokes with her that are somewhat funny, all of her scenes felt way too much like what they did with the character of Lilly in the first film. They also continue to do the same bits with Lilly this time around too, so it feels like too much going back and forth with those two characters. Nonetheless, the gripes I had are minor and they don’t derail the film from delivering on the laughs.
Pitch Perfect 2 is a welcome sequel and while it may fall just shy of topping the first film it still provides plenty of laughs, great musical performances and a few sweet moments.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Jake Peffer
https://youtu.be/8HTiU_hrLms?list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5
Originally published May 13, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
