Pitch Perfect was released back in 2012. It was the musical breakout success no one saw coming and grossed over 115 million worldwide at the box office. Perfect had witty banter, humor and musical numbers that could top the charts. It was musical magic moment captured at just the right time.
Could it be possible to recreate the acapella magic with a sequel? Despite it’s best effort, Pitch Perfect 2 doesn’t capture that magic and falls short of the original but it isn’t without its own high notes.
This time around the ladies of the Barden Bellas are on a road to redemption after a humiliating performance at Lincoln Center for the President’s birthday. The girls must come back together and find their sound in order to win the world acapella competition and regain their status as a group on campus.
Pitch Perfect 2 features the return of most of the original cast including; Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin and Ester Dean. The sequel most notably adds newcomer Hailee Steinfeld to the Bellas. Steinfeld plays an upcoming freshman that wishes to join the group and discover her own voice. Steinfeld does impress with her vocals but her character is never fully developed, despite having Katy Segal playing her mother, a Bella legend.
Elizabeth Banks makes her directorial debut with Perfect 2 and also stars. Banks tries to infuse more humor than the original and often times the jokes fall short. Some of the jokes even at times feel racially charged and not funny at all. One character in particular, Florencia “Flo” Fuentes, played by Chrissie Fit, is a complete stereotype. Her jokes feel out of place, offensive and uncomfortable.
Banks has an incredible strong female cast and die hard fans that are craving another story from this acapella world. Instead of furthering character development, the need for comedy and gags take over. Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson give stand out performances and help to make this sequel feel more connected to the original but their characters don’t develop. They stay one noted.
What made the original so special was the mixture of character development, laughs and musical numbers that left the audience dancing in their seats. Perfect 2 doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the musical numbers, from the choreography to the vocal arrangements, each performance stands out.
The movie tries to out match the original with bigger musical numbers and a worldwide competition, but instead misses the high notes and falls flat.
Image courtesy of INFphoto.com
Image courtesy of INFphoto.com