Pitch Perfect hit the high notes and shocked everyone when the Anna Kendrick-starring film arrived in 2012 and became a smash hit. Of course a sequel was green lit, and writers and newly minted director (and star and producer of the first film) Elizabeth Banks went to work to ensure they would not suffer a sequel that disappointed, as so many follow-ups have done prior.
Pitch Perfect 2 landed this past summer and we found it an utter delight. It became less of a Kendrick-starring vehicle like the first one and was truly an ensemble piece that kept all the charm and comedy of the first film, and dare we say, amped it up a wee bit.
This time out, The Bellas of Barden University are queens of their a cappella world. It’s been three years since they surprised everyone with their sonic succulence and they are the current three-time champion of university a cappella singing groups. Things are going fantastically for our girls, until they perform a command performance for the President of the United States that finds Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson back and as delightful as ever) suffering a wardrobe malfunction in front of the leader of the free world.
Our angelic singing group has now come off as more devilish. As punishment, they are banned from competition. However, there is a loophole… if The Bellas can win the World Championships of a cappella (which no American team has done before), they can be reinstated.
With a legacy freshman being added to the singing sensation that is the Barden Bellas (fantastic addition Hailee Seinfeld, Oscar nominee for True Grit), they might just have a chance. Then again, when Pitch Perfect 2 introduces Das Sound Machine, the German a cappella group who is the current world champ, it looks like the ladies have their work cut out for them.
Pitch Perfect 2 is not only a worthy sequel to the first film, but it reinforces some fantastic themes that all young women (and men, for that matter) could use in their emotional toolbox. Loyalty, believing in oneself and following your dreams are just a few, and Banks hits all the right notes as the director, never allowing messages to come off like mallets striking foul notes at the audience.
And as we said, this is a true ensemble piece with each person given equal time to shine, and raising their game is the always awesome Kendrick and Wilson, but also Brittany Snow and Anna Camp. Continuing their delightful repartee from the first film as a cappella announcers with attitude, Banks and John Michael Higgins take their hilarity up a notch if you can believe that is even possible.
The Pitch Perfect 2 Blu-Ray bonus features do a lot of singing on their own and for fans of this series (which will get a third film coming soon), the featurettes make this release a must-own for repeated viewing.
The Riff-Off was one of the biggest joys of the first film, and this time out, Pitch Perfect 2 ups the stakes and brings it inside a mansion, and then blows the roof off. The Making of the Riff-Off is a fascinating look at how that sequence was shot, how the songs were chosen and how the Green Bay Packers even got involved!
We love the onscreen will they or won’t they of Fat Amy and Bumper (Adam DeVine). Their flirtation and hilarious back-and-forth continues in the sequel. Therefore, the bonus feature An Aca-Love Story: Bumper and Fat Amy is utterly priceless.
As we stated earlier, when we meet Das Sound Machine, you realize almost immediately that they will be one tough act to bring down at the World Championships. Casting was impeccable in filling out the German singing squad and you’ll want to know more about them and what better way than Das Sound Machine Finale Breakdown. During that finale of the championships, they perform something that is out of this world and watching how it came together is fascinating.
New-to-the-series Steinfeld gets a cute close-up in Legacy: Hailee Steinfeld. Who knew the Oscar nominee could sing? She sure does and the future of the Pitch Perfect franchise is clearly hers as we see in her bonus featurette.
For most fans of this series, the music is the big selling point. You do not want to miss the Extended Musical Performances. And lastly, Banks makes a strong debut as a director and it’s intriguing to see her at work on what is our favorite featurette, Elizabeth Banks’ Directorial Debut. Let’s just say, we can’t wait to see what she does next… behind the camera.
Movie Itself: B
Bonus Features: B+