Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) Review

"You are one of us, you paid the registration fee."

Sequels have often had a bad rep for being poor imitations of the originals, with 22 Jump Street truly capitalizing on this common perception by being ridiculously self-mocking, so it is no surprise that some are quick to condemn the struggling sequel. You either have the incredibly drawn-out and pointless additions that add nothing to the series (looking at you The Hangover) or the rare gem that is the well-constructed sequel; particularly hard to find in today’s movie climate. When you combine musicals and sequels you have another thing entirely. Enter stage left: Pitch Perfect 2.

Aca-arriving in full force, the new feature directed, produced and starring Elizabeth Banks sees the Bellas suffer an unfortunate embarrassment at President Obama’s birthday, where Patricia, more commonly known as ‘Fat Amy’ (Rebel Wilson) exposes herself to the crowd while performing an aerial routine. Left humiliated, the team are forced into signing up for the World Championships in order to regain their former glory, led by the eager Chloe (Brittany Snow). Beca (Anna Kendrick) also begins interning at a local recording studio. There are a number of new faces along for the adventure, such as the leaders of ‘Das Sound Machine’, Pieter Kramer (Flula Borg) and Kommissar (Birgitte Sorensen), a rival German group also competing for the title. Miss True Grit herself, Hailee Steinfeld also makes an appearance as Emily Junk, an aspiring songwriter and Bella Legacy.

Character development seems to have been a major focus in this film, with Beca’s career aspirations being fully explored with the world of record producing, Chloe’s unwillingness to graduate is questioned and ‘Fat Amy’ has an intriguing new romance. Kendrick and Wilson have some tender friendship moments, with both ladies bringing the humour for this female-solidarity film. Showing off her vocal range is Steinfeld in her role as Emily, a relatively goofy but positive new recruit whose keen to plug her new song ‘Flashlight’ to the world.  Guatemalan new-comer Florencia (Chrissie Fit) is particularly impressive with her on-screen presence, delivering some commendable lines rooted in harsh reality.

The most impressive performances come from Wilson, Kendrick and new-comers Sorensen and Borg, who are electrifying as the strong-faced and strangely intriguing German Acapella group. The latter two produce some rather visually and vocally fierce covers of Muse and Imagine Dragons material that add a more feisty edge to the clean-cut acapella, and the dialogue between the two and Kendrick is thoroughly entertaining. Of course, funny commentators Gail and John are back (portrayed by Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins, respectively) and their jokes are particularly on point, with Gail’s side-eyed humour combatting John’s blatant sexism.

Although the story provides excellent development for some characters, others are left in a stay of disarray, with the quirky Lilly (Hana Mae Lee) not having nearly as many laugh-out-loud moments, and after a while the joke (being that she says bizarre things quietly) wears a little thin. Similarly Stacie Conrad seems to have taken up a position at the side-lines instead of centre stage, as we see very little of Alexis Knapp’s formidable character.

Arguably, the story is more likeable and cohesive, expanding the universe of competitive Acapella into international waters, whilst featuring performances from popular singing groups Pentatonix and Penn Masala. This offers the opportunity for more intense and diverse sounds from different countries, and the film delivers some memorable numbers including its own original song ‘Flashlight’. Musical films often tread a fine line between repetitive singing and actual dialogue, but Pitch Perfect 2 manages to create a suitable balance between the two (this one’s no Les Miserables!). However, there are certain plot points that are not fully developed and could have definitely been improved, leaving the film feeling a little half-finished.

Not one to end on a sour note, the movie brings the aca-edge and though it suffers from a few missed high-notes it is a perfectly pleasant watch, that doesn’t quite possess the X-Factor but still makes for reasonably satisfying viewing. Despite it not being aca-mazing (we’ll stop now), Pitch Perfect 2 does defy the convention that sequels are never as good as the originals…just.