Collegiate a cappella group the Barden Bellas have made themselves outcasts due to an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction during a performance at the Lincoln Center in front of the president of the United States.
To be reinstated as competitive singers and regain their honour, the Bellas must travel to Copenhagen to compete against the best a cappella groups in the world.
We say, “Music and laughter wins out in Pitch Perfect 2.”
TAYLOR: The gang is back: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, the rest, plus a couple of new characters. I liked the B story of Kendrick interning for a record producer in preparation for life after graduation. It helped move the characters along in their lives since we last saw them in the original film.
I don’t know that they’ll make another one. This felt like a conclusion, but then again, if a film makes money another one just like it will be made. I enjoyed Pitch Perfect 2 as much as its predecessor.
HOWE: How often does a sequel come along and be as good as, if not better than, the original? This has to be one of the funnier movies I have seen in a long time. After seeing the trailer so many times, I was dreading this a little, as they always show the best bits. But I found there are classy laughs throughout and it kept me thoroughly entertained from start to finish. Most of the laughs are delivered by Fat Amy (Wilson) but it was commentators John (John Michael Higgins) and Gail (Elizabeth Banks) that had me chuckling and smiling with their witty one liners. They were perfect.
TAYLOR: Banks also directed the film, which makes it her feature film directorial debut (we won’t count her direction of a segment in the awful Movie 43). I too thought the commentators had some of the best jokes, although there are a lot of different types of humour in the film: physical, rude, sexual, awkward, weird. There were also many subtle jokes, spoken quietly as the girls walked away at the end of a scene. Adding jokes in post-production and improvising while filming tweaks in today’s comedy films and TV shows. Writers, actors, directors, even editors fire as many jokes as possible hoping that some of them stick. Fortunately this goofball gaggle of girls are affable enough and I even enjoyed most of the songs.
HOWE: Pitch Perfect 2 does a lot of things right for a PG-13 film. There’s no swearing and that’s quite an achievement nowadays. There is a little toilet humour, but it is over in a few seconds. It’s mostly the banter between the cast that keeps it ticking along nicely. Pitch Perfect 2 scores a high note.
– Taylor gives Pitch Perfect 2 3.5 guest star appearances out of 5.
– Howe gives it 4 gift cards out of 5.
Brian Taylor and Peter Howe are film reviewers based in Vernon, B.C.
