‘Pitch Perfect 2’ (2015): Sequel Continues Random Sing-Offs and Friendship Hilarity

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Some three years ago, there was a film about acapella singing that opened to rave reviews. Starting a young, relative unknown cast and putting its world in the college scene of collegiate, competitive singing, Universal piggybacked off that success and followed up with a sequel. pitch perfect 2

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) Film Review

The Barden Bellas are still on top of the world, happily enjoying their national win. Then, everything comes to a halt during a performance at Lincoln Center. With the President in attendance. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) has an, ahem, wardrobe malfunction that causes an outrage and bans them from the rest of their tour. The only thing they find a way around is their right to compete in
an International Championship – an event the Americans never win and are, in fact, hated. Trouble is all of the girls are handling the news of their disqualification very differently.

 Beca (Anna Kendrick) is happy for this reprieve. She doesn’t want her entire college career to be about singing. Instead she accepts an internship (without telling her friends) and neglects her commitment to them. Chloe (Brittany Snow) loses it, believing that her entire college life revolves around this group. Then there is the new girl. As a legacy, Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) believes getting a spot on the Barden Bellas is her first task when she steps onto the campus. Her mother was a Bella and both women have been dreaming of this moment ever since Emily was a young girl. What Emily doesn’t know is the Bellas are also banned from new members.

FILM REVIEW | Pitch Perfect (2012) – Hilarious Comedy about Friendship Connected by Music

‘Pitch Perfect 2’ (2015): Sequel Continues Random Sing-Offs and Friendship Hilarity #Moviearchives Share on X

Much as I adore these characters and the films, I will say this upfront these movies aren’t for everyone. There’s a unique kind of humor, plus, naturally the song covers they sing are of the secular variety, and subject to very few “rules.” Moving past that, it’s safe to say, this sequel lives up to my expectations and then some. I enjoy everything about it from the return of the primary cast to the hilarious rapport they have. Returning to their world was acca-awesome (sorry, had to use one of their buzz words as a descriptor. It’s sort of a necessity when discussing these films).   

What is best about these films are the friendships. Throughout, there is a lot of typical “girl stuff” that crops up, and through it all, their friendships keep the story “real” and entertaining. This film does a nice job of bringing back familiar faces, in spite of one now being alumni. The cast carries their characters well, and I love their unique personalities including Beca’s snarky rebel (though her reaction to their competition is weird); Fat Amy’s easy-going, free-spirit personality; and even, Chloe’s hyper attitude, something she apparently picks up in the wake of Aubrey leaving. There’s some talk that Anna Kendrick isn’t the same as in movie one, and there are moments this is true. She sort of “checks out” in parts of the story. However, I’m not too bothered because it’s too much fun even without her being always “in the zone” as it were.

Hard as I try not to, comparisons inevitably make it into the equation. And that’s what I feel like I’ve done in this review. Between the familiar faces and similar plot, there are a lot of similarities between the two scripts. As always, the music helps sell the story and creates some great moments that integrate with the music. Helping to breathe some fresh life into the set-up is Hailee’s Emily. Emily is a sweet kid whose voice and talent sparks something in the Bellas, and helps remind them who they are.

If you like Pitch Perfect and didn’t mind its humor, you’re sure to enjoy this sequel. It was the perfect summer blockbuster to get out to the theater and see, and enjoy. It’s also a perfect girl’s day out with my mom, sitting in an empty theater where we could giggle our way through catching up with these crazies. And believe me, I did just that. 

Content: Pitch Perfect 2 is PG13 for various sexual innuendoes including references to two people enjoying a relationship based solely on “hook ups.” Fat Amy’s blunder involves her pants spitting during a performance, which inspires some jokes. There is some minor [in comparison] profanity.