Review of Pitch Perfect 2 (2015) by Marvin M — 23 Mar 2016

When the original came out, I wasn't that into Anna Kendrick, but in the last three years, I've really grown to hate-like her for the annoyingly talented, enviably petite, infinity-threat powerhouse she is. Elizabeth Banks proves a competent director in this installment, charting the trajectory of some real-life senioritis challenges for the stagnant Bellas: Beca gophering and ultimately impressing a bigshot music producer played by Key and/or Peele, Fat Amy taking a chance on Bumper (with non-aca backing track??), Chloe finally graduating from super-senior status, and Aubrey channeling her Type-A control freak mojo into a team-building retreat.

The best aca-performances of the movie are the riff-off invitational, the training montage, and the campfire reprise of "Cups," but unfortunately, the parts that I expected to bring das haus down (the Das Sound Machine sets, the Bellas' final set, Hailee Steinfeld's audition, and the Jessie J-penned generic pop song "Flashlight")...didn't. Katey Sagal has a surprisingly nice singing voice though!