Pitch Perfect
Rated: M
Starring: Anna Kendricks and Rebel Wilson
FART joke humour, cheesy musical numbers and sequels aren’t often conducive to good film-making and yet, somehow the combination just kind of works in Pitch Perfect2, directed by Elizabeth Banks (Effie in the Hunger Games) – at least enough to provide some good laughs and have you still there at the end.
Let’s face it, a movie about an all female arcapella group (or its sequel) was never going to win an academy award, but this is fun escapism kind of at its best with a subtle message of moving on and believing in yourself and light digs at misogynists. This is what Glee would be like with better acting and Seth Rogen in charge.
While the satirical humour occasionally hits you over the head like a blunt instrument, for a change, the messages don’t. It’s not preachy, it’s just fun and you know it’s fun when an audience (multigenerational) stands up and claps at the end.
The Bellas arcapella group of the first movie are now winners of multiple national titles but an onstage costume malfunction in front of no less than the US President sees them spiralling towards oblivion and only winning the world titles can save their bacon.
The script benefits from the fact that it was written by 30 Rock veteran Kay Cannon and that, well, it’s a cute idea with a quirky cast. While Ana Kendricks and Hailee Steinfeld are the main stars Australia’s own Rebel Wilson steals it totally as Fat Amy. Director Banks probably should have reined her in a little though, her quips are cute and cleverly inappropriate at times but they do become slightly overpowering after a while. But her over-the-top version of “We belong to the Night” was laugh-out-loud funny.
The surprise was a cameo by SBS darling Birgitte Hjort Sorensen (a long way from her role in Borgen or on the West End in Shakespeare’s Coriolanus with Tom Hiddleston) as one of the leaders of the world dominating German group who the Bellas must beat to win. She was fun and intimidating even if the group was a stereo-type of epic proportions.
But this is a slightly cheesy, feel-good, laugh-out-loud movie with a good heart that doesn’t make you cringe too much, and there is no other way to describe this movie than fun. – TANIA PHILLIPS
