Directed by Elizabeth Banks (in her feature directorial debut) and starring Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Life After Beth, Into the Woods, The Twilight Saga), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Bridesmaids), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, Ender's Game, Begin Again, 3 Days to Kill), Brittany Snow (Pitch Perfect, Hairspray, John Tucker Must Die) and Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games, People Like Us, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Spider-Man 3).
115 mins; comedy drama; 6+
Following on from the huge success of Pitch Perfect which focused on the Barden Bellas all-girls a capella singing group, Pitch Perfect 2 starts off with a command performance in front of the US President which ends in disgrace and humiliation due to a wardrobe malfunction. The BArden Bellas are suspended as a result and cannot perform in the US; however, they may compete in an international competition that no American group has ever won.
And so the storyline goes... The film starts slowly with jokes falling flat and a discernible lack of continuity, but it does recover for a solid second half. While the jokes are quite blue (quite why is does not have a 12 certificante is bizarre) and the storyline is formulaic, the singing is indeed excellent, led by the superb Anna Kendrick as Becky. Most of the Bellas have returned and they are joined by Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) with the scriptwriters including her using some tenuous sub-plot.
Some great foot-tapping and humming-along tunes, particularly in the second half of the film. Better not think about the plot too much though...
