And I have now written the worst headline ever.
Having loved 2012’s Pitch Perfect when I first watched it, Pitch Perfect 2 had an easy entry to my list of anticipated movies of 2015, even beating out Terminator: Genisys and Jurassic World.
And I wasn’t dis-aca-ppointed. Trust me, that’ll be a lot funnier if you’ve already watched the movie. I promise.
Much like the first one there really isn’t much to be said about Pitch Perfect 2 as a movie. As a comedy it delivers rapid humour that elicits side-splitting laughter with ease. The musical choices and performances are great and right on the note.
Most importantly, as sismance movies go (that’s right, that’s bromance for female bros… or, y’know, sisters), the Pitch Perfect movies manage to make the story about women realising their dreams without some vapid sub-plot of a romance that has the protagonist spending half an hour of screen time weeping over the usually one-dimensional male lead.
And that’s where I find both Pitch Perfect movies unique and exceptionally stronger than other movies of similar target demographics: their ability to be an entertaining “chick flick” without having to sink to the mind-numbing depravity of Devil Wears Prada or The Other Woman.
Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy continues to somehow be both self-deprecating and self-loving at the same time. Brittany Snow and Anna Kendrick’s chemistry allow them to easily play off each other, with neither overshadowing each other with a well-balanced script.
Extra kudos goes to Kay Cannon’s script for not only introducing a lovable lot of “bad guys” but maintaining the much enjoyed running gags from the first movie. Coupled with Elizabeth Banks’ debut as a feature film director (while reprising her role as Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberg), the pair make for an entertaining and quirky movie, with an almost Tina Fey-esque touch to the script.
The only downside might be how a ‘legacy’ (children of ex-members of the featured a capella group) character is thrown in as an afterthought but is repeatedly and not-so-subtly marketed as the protagonist of any future instalments in the franchise… meaning we may not being seeing much more of Beca and co.’s future as adults.
Both of these seem to be casualties of a third act that rushes itself through the climax to reach the conclusion with little in the way of a proper wrap up.
Nevertheless, Pitch Perfect 2 is a great 115 minutes of entertainment and even merits a re-watch of the first movie just ’cause.