For all its faults, 2012’s Pitch Perfect at least had earnest attempts towards heart and sincerity. There were character arcs and a desire to show not only what they endeared but how they grew together along the way — under all its overly self-aware/sassy humor and lowbrow puns. And while never as abrasive as the first, Pitch Perfect 2 is just as tedious for how aimless it feels in its approach. It coasts by on whatever charm people felt for the original, and doesn’t bother to add any depth or verity to this new addition. It also doesn’t help that it’s not funny either.
Now three years from where they were in the last film, the three-time female acapella group champions the Barden Bellas hit a new low when a disastrous rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” results in Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) exposing herself to the country, the President and First Lady, therein by imposing “Muffgate” onto the United States. In light of this, the Bellas are suspended from the acapella performing circuit and are the laughing stock of the nation. To renew their prestige name, Beca (Anna Kendrick), Chloe (Brittany Snow) and the rest of the college singers decide to not only compete in the international acapella competition but also win it, something no American team has ever done before.
Much like The Hangover sequels, Pitch Perfect 2 is crass without wit, and devalues what made the original appeal to those who liked it. Elizabeth Banks — making her feature director debut here — continuously mistakes overloaded insults, plainly stated references to ethnic stereotypes and awkward sex-related gags as brave, and fails to appreciate any nuance her characters had in favor of brash, undercooked humor. Their half-hearted hope to coast by on an equally half-strung story makes this singing sequel just as tedious and unbearable as the original, if not more so.
The jokes may be consistent, but none of them make much of an impression, or rely on anything clever or insightful in their given moments. That it feels so relentless in how it belittles anyone makes it taste even sourer. It’s a lazy attempt to capitalize on its previous success, and those who liked the first should rightfully feel cheated. These characters’ actions don’t feel genuine, and that takes away from any emotional satisfaction. Any conflicts are mild and either are predictably overcome or of little concern, and this kills any tension or care for reason in this nearly two-hour film. It’s a messy effort in more ways than one.
The first Pitch Perfect tried to skate by on its one-note supporting players, and now these back-up singers are somehow even more removed from humanity here. Those already just a simple side note of a character — like Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean), the black lesbian of the group or Lilly (Hana Mae Lee), the softly speaking mystery woman of the bunch — are relied on for blunt shtick even lazier than before. Meanwhile, those who were at least initially amusing, like Lee, are so overplayed that they sadly become as irritating as the rest.
But in true comedy sequel fashion, Pitch Perfect 2 regresses everyone into flat caricatures. Returning screenwriter Kay Cannon seems like she doesn’t care if the Bellas appear like their original selves this time. Kendrick’s Beca — once sarcastic, self-dependent and hard to persuade — becomes a plain Jane member of the group, trying to balance an internship with this extracurricular activity but has little trouble doing so unless its need for the plot. Chloe, the stern but passionate voice for the group, is strictly just the uptight leader who apparently only thinks about the Bellas during her existence. Beca’s sly, charismatic boyfriend Jesse (Skylar Astin) is now merely a supporting boyfriend with a handful of lines. And Fat Amy, somehow, has even less personality than she did before. At the very least, such laziness in that regard becomes an accomplishment.
The new add-ons are just as poorly tuned. Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) is reduced to just the passionate and talented newcomer to the Bellas. And Flo (Chrissie Fit) is immediately frustrating as the Mexican foreign student whose basically a cartoon character based on how she only — and I mean only — talks about being deported, her violent family history and the border. Steinfeld, to her credit, tries to add personality to her performance, but Cannon’s inability to give her much motivation squanders these chances as the thin plot progresses.
The only real bright spot here is John Michael Higgins, returning as the male half of the acapella commentator duo John and Gail (Banks). As one of the original’s high points, he still makes his sparse moments pop, and ultimately produces the film’s only two chuckles. His wonderfully dry delivery is always rich, and he’s rightfully earned a reputation for making the best out of what little or shoddy material he’s often given. See Fired Up or Bad Teacher for two other examples of proof. Bless you Higgins for your efforts. They are dully noted, under appreciated and well needed. Banks plays a fine straight woman in these interacts, and she deserves props for making them better. But it’s truly Higgins work that shines.
To the sequel's credit, the musical renditions here don't sound quite as studioized as they did in the first. However, Banks’ inexperience behind the camera makes these scenes poorly shot and visually disengaging. Every one is filmed in the same generic style, and after a while the catchy tunes lose any momentum thanks to the dull delivery. For that matter, her amateurish visual sense is consistent throughout the entire first feature. While the first didn’t have a distinct eye for visuals, here every scene is overlit and so high-strung so as to make the sequel appear even more uninteresting. Meanwhile, she provides no comedic balance or control here, as she lets the action dictate itself without giving it any passion or care. She merely lets the cast insult one another, and hopes their previous work together lets the audience still find them endearing.
Add in the film's cobbled, last-ditch efforts to have some sort of girl-power message at the end and Pitch Perfect 2 becomes another restlessly unfunny, passionless new feature proving how aimless Hollywood becomes with comedy today. Thankfully Trainwreck lived up to some of its potential, for this musical sequel — much like last week’s Hot Pursuit — is one badly tuned farce. If the original was in harmony at all, this one is completely off-key. And that’s nothing to sing about. How’s that for some music puns?