PITCH PERFECT 2 movie review

Aca-sequel.

Pitch Perfect 2  is the sequel to the 2012 surprise hit, Pitch Perfect. The Bellas are back once again, and after a Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) commando fiasco, they have to win an international a capella championship so that their team isn't disbanded.

I was a big fan of the first film. I was really taken by how clever and well-rounded it was. It's a really good musical comedy, so I was definitely excited for the sequel, a little skeptical on Elizabeth Banks directing, but excited nonetheless.

One aspect both of these movies get really right is understanding their characters. The individual character storylines are just as good as the story arc of the whole team and each character's comedic moments really hit the mark, because they understand the character and how to approach each one. Sure, most of them are stereotypes, but they're not lazily thrown-in stereotypes, they're handled playfully with an amount of self-awareness. Thus, characters like Fat Amy, Cynthia-Rose, or even the two back-up singers whose names no one can remember all get great comedic moments.

Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Emily "Legacy" (Hailee Steinfeld) get more of the meat of the story, with Beca looking forward to her future outside of the Bellas and Emily trying to prove herself worthy of being a Bella. Much like the first film, the individual character arcs are well-rounded, and they weave together with the arc of the whole team, culminating nicely in a fun finale.

There a couple of heart-warming moments in the film and the musical numbers are still very entertaining. However, other than a Fat Amy solo, there's no new or differing musical number from the first film, which I feel is part of the overall problem of the film: Elizabeth Banks' directing.

I don't think Banks knows what makes a movie fun. She just throws in some random montages of people dancing at parties, random practices, and girls pillow-fighting, with "fun" party music in the background, and it's just not that fun to watch. It's nowhere close to the fun energy you felt watching freshmen audition for the a capella groups back in the first film. It's pretty B-movie directing that the first film was able to avoid.

Even the finale comes down to a battle between opposing forces, while in the first film, it didn't matter who won anymore. Beca and Jesse get together after Beca sings Don't You Forget About Me and Benji proves his talent to everyone else when he (greatly) performs I Got the Magic in Me. This film's finale is fun and there is a heart-warming moment in there, but it literally doesn't capture the magic of the first film.

While Pitch Perfect 2 doesn't capture the magic of the first film, it still manages to deliver on funny characters, a well-rounded story, and an aca-amusing film.