Do movie sequels ever live up to their previous counterparts? Excluding your obvious franchises like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games, not one sequel springs into mind that truly outshone its first production. Unfortunately, Pitch Perfect applies to this rule which I will now christen "The Sequel Curse". It's such a shame as a movie that contains all the much needed elements that young people enjoy these days like girl power, musical-type singing and dancing, odd yet heartwarming romances and seemingly improvised jokes should stand a chance of winning us over.
We pick up from the first installment a few years down the line with a refreshed Barden Bella accapella group who are ready to tour the country with their new found fame and success however after a disatorous performance for the President's birthday at the Lincoln Centre the girls are prohibited from further acapella duties. Nonetheless they discover a loop hole which will allow them to compete in the World Acapella Championships in Copenhagen. The Bellas must pull out all the stops to prove they are a worthy and respected acapella group as well as re-instating themselves in the acapella world.
Plausible enough plot to be understood and accepted by tween ages and above but it didn't hesitate to pick up unnecessary, not to mention odd sub-storylines along the way. The only interesting one involving showbiz all rounder Hailee Steinfeld as Emily, daughter of a Barden Bella legend who causes a stir and adds a new flavour to the group. More of her would have been perfect.
The comedy aspect is there from the get go but starts to grind on your sense of humor after a while. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) is a great character and provides the majority of the laughs but does eventually wear you down with the outlandish jokes. Elizabeth Banks, also the debut director of the movie, and her acapella competition commentator in crime have daringly yet thankfully stepped up the laughs in this sequel.
In whole, it was the actors (and the fee-good vibes) that really carried the picture well. Anna Kendrick has kept her well achieved positive Hollywood newcomer status intact and the Cameos were enjoyable. They did the best they could with what seemed an awkwardly written script. The questionable improvised lines didn't seem to go down too well with the audience though.
Slightly underwhelming yet entertaining and satisfying enough to last us until a possible Pitch Perfect 3?
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