A pleasure for eyes and ears.
Pitch Perfect 2
Grade: B
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Screenplay: Kay Cannon (Pitch Perfect)
Cast: Anna Kendrick (Cinderella), Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids)
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 115 min.
by John DeSando
“This could very well be the greatest conflict between America and Germany in our nation's history!” John (John Michael Higgins)
“Crack a book, John.” Gail (Elizabeth Banks)
Glee and Bring it On are two productions that will come to mind when seeing the perfectly pitched Pitch Perfect 2, the worthy musical sequel to the original Pitch Perfect. Where West Side Story played a subtle source for the original, Glee plays an updated innocent and savvy inspiration for a collegiate female a cappella group, The Barden Bellas, that competes with heart and considerable dance talent to win the audience’s approval, win or not. The above quote represents the dense media establishment that will take a while to appreciate the unique talents of the ladies.
The global a cappella competition in Copenhagen is the Emerald City these collegians are working to, with bad guy Germans, in the group Das Sound Machine, dominating the competition in the temporary absence of the disgraced Bellas (for a costume “malfunction”). The film is light on character development, except perhaps for newbie, Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), who grows into collaborating original music with Beca (Anna Kendrick), the leader of the pack. Both music and dance are strong on creativity as eye-pleasing spectacle.
Praise must go to first-time helmer, Elizabeth Banks, who is assured in dance numbers and generous with actors—Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy is given scope to act silly but be funny, to champion the feminist cause as she faces down a dean and pursues a young man. She represents the achievement of young women whose talent is enough to unsettle the establishment and win love, despite her decidedly unglamorous girth.
Besides the thoroughly modern approach to femininity, Pitch Perfect 2 celebrates original thinking, such as when judges expect covers but end up praising new works composed by the girls themselves. Like the feminist movement and female-centered comedies, they’ve slowly “come a long way.”
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics. Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.rr.com
