by Jon Partridge
Back in 2012, the original Pitch Perfect struck a chord with audiences. Out of nowhere we were introduced to a diverse group of girls devoting themselves to a passion, something deemed “uncool,” while positioning them as the underdogs even within their lowly ranked social order. For so long being cool meant fitting into certain social norms, dressing a certain way, acting a certain way. Cinematically and socially, we have been thankfully moving away from those ideals for a while now. Pitch Perfect embodied the idea that you can be a individual and still be accepted by your peers. It not only showcased the “uncool” a capella scene but also a the rigid structure enforced within the Barden Bellas blown apart by the arrival of a rebellious girl (Anna Kendrick’s Becca) who drives them to embrace their own quirks and unique talents to drive them on to victory and a greater level of social acceptance.
For some the film may be a guilty pleasure; for others it hits deeper. Its release embodied a time of social change, when “cool” didn’t mean the same thing anymore. Nerd culture has taken over many aspects of our lives, the dorkier types becoming celebrated champions of their favored pursuits. Pitch Perfect blended this social development with a charismatic tale of female bonding and empowerment coupled to a catchy musical score, perhaps only topped by Frozen in it’s “sing-a-long” factor. Not only a box office and home video success, the music components topped the musical charts. A sequel was inevitable, but was it going to hit a high note or a bum note? Would a sequel worthy of the original, or would it offer little more than the ability to crank out some music puns?
Several years after the events of the first film, the Bellas are riding high on their success, with three back-to-back wins at Regionals leading to their performing for the President at the Lincoln Center. Unfortunately Fat Amy suffers a “wardrobe malfunction” during their routine. Tarnished by this act of indecency, they are boycotted by the American A Capella Association, their peers, and college, as well as made into a national talking point. They have one shot at redemption — as reigning champions they can participate in the World A Capella Championships being hosted in Copenhagen, an international competition that happens once every four years which no American group has ever won. So begins their preparation to take on foreign competitors, including competition favorites “Das Sound Machine” from Germany, all the while dealing with their own internal issues as the Bellas struggle to accept that their time in college and together is nearly at an end.
It sounds more elaborate, but the reality is the plot is essentially a retread of the first film. Repositioned as the underdogs of old with new seeds of division spread, the group must again “find their harmony” and overcome challenges to be recognized for their talents. Becca’s preoccupation with music is replaced by a preoccupation with music, the riff-off scene is replayed as an underground a capella competition, the Treblemakers and Footnotes groups from the first film replaced by “Das Sound Machine,” who are as meticulous in their performance as you would expect. I mean, who better to throw them up against than the Germans! Well, maybe the Russians, or the Brits, I guess.
Budget and scale have escalated and at times it pays off, notably with a wonderfully staged and moving finale, but the spectacle outshines what made the first film so memorable while having a good attempt at trying to recreate it. That’s not to say it isn’t a solid sequel. The jokes come thick and fast, emotional moments are had, lessons are learned; but really, the franchise is a victim of its own success. No matter how the script tries to reposition them as underdogs, they no longer are. Throwing them onto a international stage somehow removes that stigma that they were tarnished with in the first film. You can still empathize with their woes, but the edge of it is dulled somewhat. It’s an admirable attempt to recapture the magic of the first film, but it just falls short. Even the musical numbers, while undoubtedly more polished, feel a little lacking in their selection.
With the pace and humor overload it’s easy to overlook how paper thin the plot is. There is a plethora of sub-plots to pad things out, none particularly well developed, which would have given the film a welcome different dimension from the first. The introduction to the “slut shaming” culture at the beginning following Fat Amy’s “reveal” and the ensuing scandal would have been a timely topic for social commentary, but instead merely serves as a catalyst for the “underdogs seeking redemption” plot. Even romantic developments are solely played for laughs. Perhaps the biggest miss is in better exploring Becca’s arc, working as a intern in a production studio where she is confronted with questions about her ability to create something original. It’s ironic and pertinent in a film that is based entirely on the appropriation and reinterpretation of other peoples works. Instead the film loosely falls onto a narrative looking at the fears of growing up and change, but something that should have been explored more fully is instead skimmed over and resolved in a quick campfire scene. While this may be looking too deeply at the film, its not unreasonable to hope for a deeper narrative over an abundance of pop culture references (which are already dated) which are crammed in for a quick laugh.
While it’s easy to pick apart the film there is no doubting it’s entertainment value. The warmth between the cast members and rousing nature of proceedings are sufficient to wash away most cynicism.
Where Pitch Perfect 2 does truly succeed is in being the second film this year that really embraces the ideas of diversity as the norm rather than a casting stunt (the other being Furious 7). An array of talent is assembled into a wonderful mix of characters that present a more realistic view of how our society is these days. The viewing audience I saw the film very much reflected what was shown on screen, again reinforcing the appeal of the series. There’s a relatable, interesting, and diverse female-led cast, and that in itself makes for a wonderfully refreshing experience. That being said, the other big release this week also does an adept job of showing a strong female lead. (There was a version of this review that was “Go see Mad Max: Fury Road” written out 5000 times, but I was told that was unacceptable.)
The returning cast slip into their roles with ease, showing off their undeniable charm as well as their comedic talents. Kendrick shows off impeccable comedic delivery, especially in her exchanges with the German female lead, but its hard to fault any of the main cast’s contributions. While the return of the whole cast is sure to delight many, they wisely brought in some new characters too. Keegan-Michael Key is a surprisingly nice addition, giving a more restrained performance than you’d usually expect, and one of the more fleshed out characters in the film. David Cross pops up channeling his inner Chef Art Smith, and a smooth cameo from Snoop Dogg himself is most welcome.
There are new Bellas too, the most notable being Hailee Steinfeld, who at times shines but overall is a casualty of the film neglecting to develop some deeper plotlines. The other new addition Flo (Chrissie Fit) does become a little tiresome with her presence being solely to drop in nuggets about how hard it was to grow up in Mexico. she’s simply another quirky addition rather than a much needed three-dimensional character.
Elizabeth Banks returns here not only as the Judge/Commentator for the a capella events but also as a first time feature director. For the most part she does little to disturb a winning formula. She injects the film with a frenetic pace and energy, perhaps enough to distract you from the film’s failings. Where she falters is in neglecting to give the bigger sequel a sense of scale. Sometimes shots are a little focused and sets and locations are presented in a somewhat underwhelming manner. The grandeur and emotion of the finale cannot be understated, though and suggests she can paint on a larger canvas.
Pitch Perfect 2 does what all sequels have a tendency to do, take what worked about the original and make it bigger. While this often backfires, in a way it works here to drown out how obviously the film is playing to such a similar beat as the original. Jokes come thick and fast and you can’t help but be entertained. It is a film playing to its base; it knows what they want and delivers it, but just lacking the little spark that made the original so special.
Pitch Perfect 2 is in theaters everywhere from May 15th.