'Pitch Perfect 2' review by Jake Boyle
Forget creating one of the few female-centric franchises in existence, inspiring a whole wave of viral videos and making a capella interesting again after the unbearable schmaltz of Glee; Pitch Perfect's principal achievement is the number of words it added to my lexicon in an hour and a half. Toner, aca-scuse me, queerballs and treble-boned all belong in the dictionary, and even aside from the strength of its dialogue, the original film was a joy to behold.
Thankfully, the new one is too. For the most part, everything that was good about the first film is just as good a second time around - Lilly's freaky non-sequiturs are still comically startling, Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are still endlessly charismatic, and the song and dance routines are as excellent as ever. What has occurred is a process of doubling down on the previous film's strengths. One of the things that made the comedy so likeable was the heartfelt warm core at the centre, surrounded by sharper and more crass humours. As such, the sequel contains many moments of sincerity and emotional bonding, usually led by Brittany Snow's impressive performance - but to prevent things from ever getting Dixie Chicks serious, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins' commentators are back on hand with some truly jaw-dropping quips of insensitivity. The occasional reliance on stereotypes is disheartening and lazy, but a couple of them are made easier to swallow when delivered by Flula Borg, who aside from possessing great comic timing, has also been making the exact same jokes about himself for years. Fat Amy, widely and correctly recognised as the funniest element of the first film, has unfortunately been overused, and at times her dialogue can feel either forced or just far less funny that it's supposed to be - luckily, Wilson's irrepressible flair mostly salvages this.
The new elements, while not abundant, are pleasant treats. Hailee Steinfeld's dorky freshman and Keegan-Michael Key's short-tempered producer are both welcome editions to an already strong ensemble, and the funniest scene in the film (a brand new Riff Off!) is primarily helmed by David Cross. There's also a greater sense of pop culture savviness, with more jokes about modern music and some fantastic as-themselves appearances by Snoop Dogg and various members of the Green Bay Packers. Banks, now in the director's chair as well as on screen, incorporates some nice touches of playfulness, filming a couple of shots on GoPros, inserting newsreel clips of Obama and splicing a montage into various sub-screens. It's a relatively compact film, but all events are given enough breathing room to be fully enjoyed, and it's always good having left the cinema wanting more. Still, it would have been preferable to see Anna Camp in a few more scenes, and she never really gets to flourish in the brief moments she does appear. The all-important final a capella performance has a slight lack of dynamism, but makes a bit of a risky and successful move in making it a more sentimental affair, and if there is to be no Pitch Perfect 3, then this a strong ending.
Pitch Perfect 2 should definitely please all returning fans, keeping things similar but staving away repetition by alternately increasing either the scale or the emotional impact. The cast and dialogue are still perfectly matched, and the high standard for musical performance is maintained. By building on what came before through callbacks and deepening the characters, Pitch Perfect 2 is an equally good film to its predecessor but elevates the franchise as a whole. Toe-tapping and side-splitting from beginning to end, and even tugging on the heartstrings a little, this film marks a strong directorial debut by Banks and provides a great opportunity to see the ever-charming Barden Bellas & co in all their sustained glory.
Thankfully, the new one is too. For the most part, everything that was good about the first film is just as good a second time around - Lilly's freaky non-sequiturs are still comically startling, Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are still endlessly charismatic, and the song and dance routines are as excellent as ever. What has occurred is a process of doubling down on the previous film's strengths. One of the things that made the comedy so likeable was the heartfelt warm core at the centre, surrounded by sharper and more crass humours. As such, the sequel contains many moments of sincerity and emotional bonding, usually led by Brittany Snow's impressive performance - but to prevent things from ever getting Dixie Chicks serious, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins' commentators are back on hand with some truly jaw-dropping quips of insensitivity. The occasional reliance on stereotypes is disheartening and lazy, but a couple of them are made easier to swallow when delivered by Flula Borg, who aside from possessing great comic timing, has also been making the exact same jokes about himself for years. Fat Amy, widely and correctly recognised as the funniest element of the first film, has unfortunately been overused, and at times her dialogue can feel either forced or just far less funny that it's supposed to be - luckily, Wilson's irrepressible flair mostly salvages this.
The new elements, while not abundant, are pleasant treats. Hailee Steinfeld's dorky freshman and Keegan-Michael Key's short-tempered producer are both welcome editions to an already strong ensemble, and the funniest scene in the film (a brand new Riff Off!) is primarily helmed by David Cross. There's also a greater sense of pop culture savviness, with more jokes about modern music and some fantastic as-themselves appearances by Snoop Dogg and various members of the Green Bay Packers. Banks, now in the director's chair as well as on screen, incorporates some nice touches of playfulness, filming a couple of shots on GoPros, inserting newsreel clips of Obama and splicing a montage into various sub-screens. It's a relatively compact film, but all events are given enough breathing room to be fully enjoyed, and it's always good having left the cinema wanting more. Still, it would have been preferable to see Anna Camp in a few more scenes, and she never really gets to flourish in the brief moments she does appear. The all-important final a capella performance has a slight lack of dynamism, but makes a bit of a risky and successful move in making it a more sentimental affair, and if there is to be no Pitch Perfect 3, then this a strong ending.
Pitch Perfect 2 should definitely please all returning fans, keeping things similar but staving away repetition by alternately increasing either the scale or the emotional impact. The cast and dialogue are still perfectly matched, and the high standard for musical performance is maintained. By building on what came before through callbacks and deepening the characters, Pitch Perfect 2 is an equally good film to its predecessor but elevates the franchise as a whole. Toe-tapping and side-splitting from beginning to end, and even tugging on the heartstrings a little, this film marks a strong directorial debut by Banks and provides a great opportunity to see the ever-charming Barden Bellas & co in all their sustained glory.
No comments:
Post a Comment