Review of Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) by Thequietgamer — 21 Feb 2016

Hilarity and heart are what keeps this comedy sequel afloat in a time when most sink harder than the Titanic. It's an absolute joy to watch these talented actresses come together once again with some new faces to give incredible musical performances and deliver a seemingly endless stream of jokes.

The plot of the previous movie didn't deviate too far from the standard coming of age story found in most movies aimed at teenagers outside of being set in college and a focus on A cappella. That isn't so much the case here. Elements are familiar, but touch on some more emotional themes.

Moments of sisterhood and vulnerability with and between these characters are the backbone of the whole thing. Their fears about moving on, failing, and being away from the family they created all resonate because of how in love we fell with them in the previous film. That love is only strengthened here.

It's also a very funny movie. Downright hilarious most of the time. Awesome cameos and a wide range of jokes keep the laughs coming, even if it does suffer from the typical comedy sequel flaw of trying to go too big at times. That need to one up itself does lend that all too familiar feeling of trying too hard that sometimes causes it to stumble. However it also leads to some of the film's best and brilliant moments of comedy and heart-warming sweetness. Thanks to talented direction, sharp writing, and a stellar cast this movie succeeds more often than not.

While the planned third movie might be a bit much, the Bellas' second performance is one worth watching. Time will only tell is the magic can be captured three times in a row, but I'm thankful to say that it was captured at least twice.