Pitch Perfect 2 Review

8 out of 10 

Cast:

Anna Kendrick as Becca Mitchell

Rebel Wilson as Patricia “Fat Amy”

Brittany Snow as Chloe Beale

Ester Dean as Cynthia-Rose Adams

Alexis Knapp as Stacie Conrad

Hana Mae Lee as Lilly Onakurama

Kelley Jakle as Jessica

Shelley Regner as Ashley

Hailee Steinfeld as Emily Junk

Chrissie Fit as Florencia “Flo” Fuentes

Skylar Astin as Jesse Swanson

Adam DeVine as Bumper Allen

Ben Platt as Benjamin “Benji” Applebaum

Anna Camp as Aubrey Posen

Flula Borg as Pieter Krämer

Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as Kommissar

Katey Sagal as Katherine Junk

Keegan-Michael Key as Becca’s boss

Elizabeth Banks as Gail Abernathy-McKadden

John Michael Higgins as John Smith

David Cross as the Riff-Off Host

Snoop Dogg as himself

Directed by Elizabeth Banks. 

Review:

Both the draw and the drawback of sequels is their natural desire to give you more of what you liked from the first run-through, a notion which overstuffs more often than it nourishes and which Pitch Perfect 2 cheerfully and intelligently satirizes even as its heroes – the Barden Bellas – fall prey to it. Like many success stories, they quickly fall down the rabbit hole of trying to top themselves by going bigger and louder than before, a move which backfires (literally), costing the group its respect, its reputation and its national crown.

Producer-turned-director Elizabeth Banks is fully aware of how dangerous going for bigger and better can be when it clashes with artistic sensibilities and that clash is at the heart of the Bellas’ and Pitch Perfect 2’s struggles. Her solution is to try and have her cake and eat it too by showcasing the overstuffed, overhyped, overdone dance numbers mainly as a target for humor. It’s a tough hi-wire act, but she manages it more often than not in an impressive directorial debut.

Being aware of the issue doesn’t stop the film from occasionally falling victim to it, but as big as the musical numbers do get, the film is less interested in them than in ramping up the absurdist humor that flowed like an undercurrent through the first film into a positive flood this time around.

It’s here that the “more is more” philosophy does pick up traction, not so much in bigger, more complicated gags or more gross-out humor, but in higher levels of absurdity. From the Bella’s camping trip to a park filled with arbitrarily located bear traps to an underground riff of where the group faces off against their new rivals Das Sound Machine. And the Green Bay Packers. (Who knew Clay Matthews could sing?)

It’s not perfect by any means – some of the jokes not only don’t land but with the benefit of repetition get noticeably more unfunny with each attempt (notably newcomer Chrissie Fit’s continued references to the hardships of immigrating illegally from Guatemala) – but it hits more than it misses. That is thanks in part to its solid comedic supporting cast, from David Cross’ a cappella enthusiast to Keegan-Michael Key’s harried music producer trying figure out some way to make a compelling Snoop Dogg Christmas album.

[Note: Snoop Dogg actually sings Christmas standards really, really well].

More importantly, “Pitch” pulls back from such antics in order to focus on its characters and their frustrations with growing and changing, something sequels seldom indulge in, preferring to leave their popular elements locked in amber. Even as the group tries to come back together, however, it finds itself being pulled further and further apart by a force more daunting than any 90s hip hop singing, beat boxing German super group could ever hope to be – the realization that they will soon graduate college and move away to begin their adult lives. 

Both the intergroup rivalry and relationship pressures of the first film are generally gone as Banks is more focused on the sisterly relationships of the Bellas themselves and the notion that – with graduation around the corner – it is time for them to grow up and go their separate ways. Kendrick’s Becca shares the screen more readily with co-stars while also delving into better material, transitioning from the moody but talented star who just needed to decide if she wanted to shine or not, to an in-over-her-head intern who quickly learns she is not at all ready to succeed in her chosen field as a music producer. Hanging back on the old standbys of mash-ups and standoffishness just won’t cut it.

There are drawbacks, even more so among the characters than the musical numbers. Most of the supporting Bellas have been pushed to the background in favor Kendrick, Wilson and Snow, while new addition Steinfeld is unfortunately not naturally funny enough to keep up with the other leads, though she gets plenty of screen time to try. Even Kendrick manages a few good laughs as she is no longer stuck playing the straight man to Wilson and Snow. 

It’s one of “Pitch’s” few wrong moves, but it also suggests the film’s willingness to continue experimenting and adding new components even if they don’t always work. Pitch Perfect 2 still can’t quite escape the feeling of being a big screen “Glee,” but the focus on character development without the serial need to shock and surprise keeps the emotional stakes high.

The result is a rare sequel where audience investment is not entirely predicated on familiar faces going through familiar motions, and a rare series that seems intent on going out on a high note.

Pun intended.