Pitch Perfect 2 Review: More of the Same

The sequel doubles its own spin of gags and non-sequiturs that made the first movie entertaining.

Fat Amy delivers the jokes of the moment without fail and gets paired with Bumper for an off-kilter romance. Minority fan favorites are given screen time. It seems that the writer is aware of the fanfiction surrounding its two leads – Bechloe – and makes subtle sapphic digs at the pairing (in which one of them discovers her latent tendencies).

There are bigger and better musical numbers to enjoy as the Bellas get thrown into the big leagues. They encounter global supergroups and their main competition, Das Sound Machine, is a world champion with an angsty 80’s techno vibe.

The cast do well with what they’re given. Rebel Wilson easily steals the spotlight. Keegan-Micheal Key also proved to be a good addition as he makes his minor role count. The film has earned enough popularity to feature a few cameos.

All of this gives the fans exactly what they want but at the expense of what elevated the conventional feel-good trappings of the original.

The poorly structured narrative rehashes the first film rather than flesh out the obvious story. The graduating Bellas must face an uncertain future and face the limitations of A Capella singing.

Covers and dubsmash would make amusing YouTube videos and Vines, but its kids play in a digital age where the talented can get a break from TV competitions or music platforms and anyone charismatic enough can get by with a good producer to bank off of auto-tuned radio-friendly hits.

The script reverts back to the predictable underdog story. The film prefers to throw cheap shots and stereotype jokes rather than develop its characters.

Pitch Perfect 2 is like any other typical sequel who just wants to make money (with the new song Flashlight and a different version of Cups) while the novelty hasn’t yet worn off.  It’s still charming in its own way, but the film ultimately lost its voice as it gets drowned out by fan service.