I wasn’t the biggest fan of the original Pitch. Before you decide to tar and feather me, let me clarify: I don’t like sitting still for extended periods of time, which makes movie-going somewhat of a chore sometimes. The vomit snow-angel scene, particularly, was horrifying, although I did love the cheeky, almost-offensive humor. The sequel was supposed to feature the original crew as graduating seniors, who are stuck trying to redeem their good name after a birthday serenade for the president went awry. The Barden Bellas go to the International Competition — which no American team has ever won — to face off against the crowd-favorite super-group Das Sound Machine. Admittedly, I was swayed into watching and reviewing a sequel — those things that Hollywood almost never gets right — by Anna Kendrick, who may or may not be the subject of the shrine in my closet.
The acting: With such a star-studded cast and crew, PP2 was set up to be as hilarious and well-presented as the original. Anna Kendrick’s Beca featured the same standoffish attitude she had in the original, emphasized by her internship at a local recording company. Instead of telling the group immediately, she chooses to keep it a secret for most of the film until it’s ultimately necessary for them to use to win.
Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy is still one of the biggest, brightest stars of the movie, with parts that encourage the audience to both laugh with and laugh at her. After continued flirting with Adam DeVine’s Bumper, the entire flirtationship comes to a head when Bumper presents Fat Amy with a carefully constructed date featuring candy and mashed peas. Before the canoe of Treblemakers can float by to serenade them, however, Fat Amy insists she doesn’t want a relationship (cue every heart in the theater audibly breaking). Before they can go to the International Competition, however, Amy realizes she loves Bumper and decides to declare this through a fantastic solo as she canoes across the lake. (Keep an eye out for the guy with fabulous hair and even better facial expressions in the background of this scene).
Two breakout characters are featured with the newest characters, Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and Flo (Chrissie Fit). Emily is a legacy of the Barden Bellas through her mother, played by Katey Sagal. Her songwriting skills, which are a point of tension throughout the movie, nearly cause disaster before they end up saving both the Bellas and Benji (Ben Platt). The mysterious addition of Flo offers new opportunities for jokes from her horrific upbringing in Guatemala, and more diversity for the group. As Cynthia, played by Ester Dean, says in the bus scene about which of them qualifies as a minority, “I’m gay, black, and a woman!”
The jokes: The jokes that could only be offensive if you let them were still front and center in PP2. While discussing her latest marriage, Gail and John (played by Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins, respectively) talk about saving the Jew for last as she wiggles her finger, sporting a larger-than-life engagement ring. If you were looking forward to (or cringing from) the World War II joke that Beca responded to competitors Das Sound Machine with, it’s worth noting that it was ultimately cut from the final film.
Instead of witty comebacks, Beca is frequently frustrated when confronted by Das Sound Machine’s two biggest players (played by Birgitte Sorensen and Youtube star Flula Borg). Towards the end of the movie, Beca announces that Birgitte’s character makes her feel confused sexually. When we finally think Beca may have a response to their undying criticisms, she instead responds with, “Well, your sweat smells like cinnamon … damn it!”
Some of the funniest moments centered on a fellow recording studio intern named Dax (Shawn Carter Peterson). Embodying a hipster stereotype, Dax is frequently found running laps in skinny jeans or sitting in the corner with his sriracha as punishment.
The music: With appearances by Pentatonix, Snoop Dogg, and the Green Bay Packers, there was certainly more of a focus on music in PP2, but it wasn’t all good. As the Bellas are struggling to perfect their sound before Internationals, the audience is forced to sit through some awkward Christmas music, a failed circus performance, and pop music infused with German accents.
It wasn’t all bad, though. The riff-off scene was a little more fast-paced than the same scene in the original Pitch Perfect, but it featured better performances. That is, up until little Emily ruins it for the Bellas, giving the win over to Das Sound Machine on a silver platter.
Instead of Beca’s “The Cup Song” being featured front and center, the Bellas penned a new original song with help from Emily: “Flashlight.” The final performance of the song features a few heartwarming moments that will leave you in goosebumps, including the original uniforms complete with yellow scarves.
Final thoughts: Not only will I be buying the DVD, but I will probably find myself listening to the soundtrack more than once. As far as sequels go, PP2 was perfectly acceptable, although I really hope they won’t be making a third (as suggested by the ending). All good things must come to an end, and I think seeing Beca and the Bellas graduate and head off to their respective futures was the best way to end this musical run.
