So, the Pitch Perfect series is not fun for the entire family (I learned this the hard way when my 7 year-old asked me what a b----- was), but it is a fun series for most of the family! I reluctantly saw the first one, but was pleasantly surprised. But, I'll have to say that our family loves a cappella music. Loves it. Goes to see university performances. Buys CDs and downloads. So, your mileage may vary, as they say.
So, an assortment of us made our way to see Pitch Perfect 2. I will admit that I liked it better than the first and actually better than the other sequel our family was waiting anxiously for this summer (Avengers 2). The challenge for the sequel is how to have a movie with a lot of performances, but not just copy the format of the first movie -- the Barden Bellas face off against their nemesis group, the Treble Makers, in the national championships. In the sequel, the Bellas have won the championships 3 years in a row, but take a startling plunge due to a wardrobe malfunction scandal. Suffering under a suspension, their only hope is to win the international championship to be reinstated, a feat no U.S. group has ever accomplished. Now that the Bellas have made nice with the Treble Makers, we need a new antagonist in the form of a German group "Das Sound Machine." The face-off is slightly reminiscent of Rocky Balboa v. Drago (albeit Russian). The Bellas have to regroup, get back to basics, and "find their sound" in order to stand a fighting chance.
Other subplots include Beca (Anna Kendrick) trying to break into music producing by taking an internship at a recording studio. The scenes with her boss are particularly fun. Unfortunately, her cute romance with Jesse is sort of a non-event in this movie, with the boyfriend basically providing occasional support but no interesting scenes. In addition, a new Bella arrives in the form of a "legacy" student who has dreamed of being a Bella only to find the group in shame and disarray. The funniest Bella, of course, is "Fat Amy" (Rebel Wilson) who steals the movie again, this time with her romance with Bumper, Treble Maker alum.
Stay in your seat until after the credits for a great "bonus," which again is better than the one after Avengers 2, even though the Marvel Cinematic Universe historically has made great use of the post-credits "button."
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