Entering the theater to see Pitch Perfect 2, viewers might be bracing themselves for disappointment from another failed attempt at a comedy sequel, like Mean Girls 2, The Hangover: Part II, Caddyshack II or Weekend at Bernie’s II.
However, Elizabeth Banks was able to direct a film that exceeded such expectations. Pitch Perfect 2 was filled with witty and relevant jokes, a new singing group, a new side plot, and numerous guest stars that one would think would not fit in a movie about college acapella, but really add a nice touch. This movie included the likes of the Green Bay Packers, Snoop Dogg/Lion, and both Barack and Michelle Obama.
This film followed Beca (Anna Kendrick), Chloe (Brittany Snow), and the rest of the Barden Bellas in their senior year of college as they face their newest rival: the German “Das Sound Machine.” For whatever reason, all of these Germans spoke English, sang in English, and had a suspiciously large repertoire of American songs.
The movie had a bit of a nostalgic feel as the girls were graduating, despite never attending a single class or doing a single assignment in either movie. The upcoming graduation gave the writers a good opportunity to introduce an alternate plot line involving Beca and her internship at a recording studio.
The main plot line felt a bit disjointed, like the writers were making up excuses for the groups to perform. When the groups did perform they performed great sets and overall the music was just as good, if not better, than it was in the first film.
Other than the few workers at the aforementioned studio and Das Sound Machine, there were few new main characters introduced.
Hailee Steinfeld was the most important new face and she played legacy Emily Junk. Steinfeld gave a good acting performance but her character was a bit underdeveloped.
The real star of the movie, though was Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. Wilson was able to provide fresh, new jokes that were extremely well executed and extremely funny.
The writers and actors did not rely heavily on jokes similar to the ones from the previous film and instead created new jokes and worked new angles, making the film more interesting. However, the film has been accused of its racist portrayal of some characters, especially a Guatemalan immigrant.
Despite a highly praised performance in the original movie, Skylar Astin, who plays Jesse, and the rest of the Treblemakers had a very limited appearance and only performed one number.
Overall, Pitch Perfect 2 had a bit of a disjointed plot, but was able to make up for it in humor and great singing performances. No one can say that this movie struck the perfect pitch, but it is pretty harmonious and if you enjoyed the first movie, it is definitely something worth seeing.