Director: Elizabeth Banks
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Elizabeth Banks, John Michel Higgins
It probably comes as no surprise to you all that I am a massive fan of the first film in this franchise and that I can pretty much sing every tune note for note and quote the film line for line. I have seen it about 50 squillion times, own the soundtrack and use it for my warm up music at the dance studio. So it also probably comes as no surprise that I saw the new film on the opening weekend and have since seen it twice more since then. What might surprise you is that I was a little disappointed in the second installment of this franchise. Now I'm calling it a franchise here because they have left it open for follow up films with the introduction of a shiny new character who has the the potential to be used for more aca-movies feauting the Barden Bellas.
I know, I know I'm breaking some kind of aca-law or something by saying that, but I truly did feel a little let down by this sequel. Thankfully not all the funny bits were in the trailer, but this second film fell a little short of the aca-awesomeness of the first film. I liked it well enough, but it's certainly not going to feature as a go-to movie for me on a rainy day.
The Bellas receive some bad news...no performing for them!
PITCH PERFECT 2 finds the Bellas on a victory tour after winning three more championships and opesn with what should be a monumental performance at the Kennedy Centre for Predient Barrack Obama himself. A very unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions turns the Bellas into a national discrace, sees them stripped of their rights to perform and to audition new members. Their national victory tour is taken over by the European champions Das Sound Machine led by some very large, overbearing and beautiful Germans. Which in turn leads to some excellent banter and a lovely riff-off that also features The Tone Hangers, the Treblemakers and the Green Bay Packers.
Das Sound Machine in the throws of performance
Things aren't looking great for the Bellas as the only way to get reinstated as an acapella group is to win the world championships, where they will be competing against Das Sound Machine. Heads of the American acapella institution laugh in their faces as they make their case and bargain that should they win they are to be reinstated and with good reason - no American team has ever won at the worlds.
John and Gail the comedic duo who are the bearers of the Bellas bad news
There are some fantastic one liners throughout, but the script itself is more like a filler between aca-performances - which are pretty great btw. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) and Bumper (Adam DeVine) feature pretty heavily in this new film, as does legacy Bella Emily Junk (Hailee Steinfeld). Emily id accepted into the Bellas even though they are not permitted to audition as she is a Bella legacy, her mother was a Bella and is played by the formidible Katey Sagal. The focus on Emily throughout made me instantly think about their options for a third film in the franchise and made me a little angry just watching it becuase I hate thinking about the future of films when I should be focussing on the film itself.
Fat Amy and Bumper
The song choices weren't as great, but the staging of the performances was much more elaborate than the first film. That being said I will probably still purchase the soundtack and sing along to most of the tunes.
As a nice little side line, Beca gets an internship at a record label and her interactions with her boss there provide some of the best comic one liners of the film, and I will say I was excited to see old Snoop perforing some Christmas tunes!
Other critics are saying that the film tries to hard, that it is a disaster, that it doesn't hit the mark and that regular film goers are probably going to wonder what all the fuss was about. I don't often agree with most critics, but in this case I don't necessarily think they're wrong. Fans of the first film will enjoy it, even though they will be slightly diappointed, but newcomers are certainly going to be confused by the whole thing. It doesn't quite have the magic of the first and the script and character development don't carry it as well as in the first.
The Barden Bellas in the final performance of the film
I know it sounds like I'm trashing the film a bit and I guess I kind of am, but it's because I was a little sad about it. All that being said though, I laughed out loud, I cringed at the slightly wrong-town humour, I sang and I danced in my seat so it can't have been all bad! Also I've seen it more than once, so you know...Die hard fans will appreciate it, newcomers probably not so much. If you're a die hard fan, go on, spend the 20-something dollars, you know you want to. Newcomers, I wouldn't bother. Just wait til it's out on DVD if you're curious.
3 out of 5
xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell
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