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He gave it a whole star more than I did. But this is still accurate.
Review by Callum Hofler ★★½
Included on:
2015 Watches
I despise being the most cynical person in any given room. I love the fact that I can enjoy virtually any film, whether it be romance, comedy, thriller, horror, sport, biopic or chick-flicks. I am not influenced by the stereotypical genres male teenagers are indoctrinated into believing are "appropriate" to appreciating, and when watching films, I (generally) don't verbally denigrate the happenings on screen in a feeble attempt to seem sardonic, intelligent or witty by any companions. There are exceptions (last night's Insidious a prime example), but for the most part, I always attempt to maintain a positive retrospect on any film I see, no matter how bad or good the film actually is. If something is laughably atrocious, that's a positive! It doesn't mean I enjoy every film I see, or I won't shit on Iron Man 2 the next time it pops up on television; it just means that I attempt to see the good in as much as possible.
And believe me when I say this, but I tried for Pitch Perfect 2. Take this into consideration when reading this: I absolutely loathe the original. Jason Moore's most prolific feature is a cliche-ridden, intellectually-lacking, melodramatic, trite and monotonous exploitation of those infatuated with Glee and unremarkable pop music. It's terribly acted, terribly written, terribly captured, but worst of all, terribly obnoxious. But everyone adored Rebel Wilson making fun of her weight (which I will admit was the best part of the film and did make me chuckle numerous times) and couldn't get enough of Anna Kendrick's remarkably predictable approach to a protagonist who featured no individual characteristics, so in foreseeable Hollywood fashion, a sequel was prompted. With Moore unable to devote full responsibility to the direction of this sequel, actress and member of the first picture's cast herself Elizabeth Banks decided to step in and fill the void Moore's departure left. And Banks has provided, fortunately for us, a somewhat funny, if not overtly lackluster and redundant continuation of the Pitch Perfect franchise. How jolly.
In all fairness, I expected a film of a far worse quality than what was provided. A first-time director; the sequel to a picture I absolutely detest; a terrible trailer prompting no anticipation; it could have turned into an absolute train-wreck. Fortunately, Banks and returning screenwriter Kay Cannon managed to instill a feeling of fluency that the first feature entirely lacked. It compensates for many of the tired cliches, stupid one-liners, overdone plot lines and general idiocy, but not wholly. Instead of crafting a purely atrocious chick-flick, Banks and Cannon have supplied a significantly superior, funny, almost intelligent and mediocre film. It's preferable to what we could have got. But virtually anything is preferable to what I was preparing myself for from the look of the initial trailer. So there's that.
Pitch Perfect 2 encounters all the concerns that seem to naturally occur within follow-up's which really aren't necessary for either the characters, their plights nor their relationships. It retreads numerous details from Pitch Perfect, both minor and substantial in terms of effect on plot, it's visually standardized despite efforts from cinematographer Jim Denault, and the entire escapade feels stilted. Its vast ensemble of personalities sometimes overwhelm the feature, the screenplay trying to discern character from the multitude of blank faces present but oft-times failing miserably. Some characters just fall into generic stereotypes; there is a Mexican singer whose only role is to continuously make fun of her own people, the jokes about her impending deportation drawing little amusement from the audience after the second iteration (and there are many more to come afterwards). The climax is simply tired tropes amassing together, a forced and blatant sense of sentimentality permeating every moment the Barden Bellas are on stage. At its worst, Pitch Perfect 2 illustrates exactly why I hold such vivid and immense disdain for its predecessor, only we have a few additional faces pervading the frame.
In its defense, the film is most certainly funnier than its precursor, Rebel Wilson in particular injecting some much needed humour. Despite the lack of substance that many of the storylines we are subjected to contain, they are rendered entertaining due to generally positive performances and some witty comedic dialogue. For every moment where Banks makes obvious her lack of experience within direction or something feels oddly forced, there is a joke, invigorating musical performance or gloriously indulgent set-piece that brings a smile to one's face. Sometimes the film is too crass for its own good, the amount of humour focused on shitting all over certain nationalities unnecessary. I'm not a prude; I just find it lazy to make German, Australian, etc, jokes in place of anything that requires legitimate thought to conjure up. But for the most part, the film is pretty darn entertaining, and that's a big positive.
It's a strange battle. Part of me wishes to award a positive rating due to how much I laughed, but I fear that was the effect of the people I was with, and the infectious quality of their chuckles and comments. Another part of me wants to disparage the picture for its narrative incompetence, technical lack-of-remarkability and cliche-ridden structure. I'll settle with an average rating. It's mediocre; nothing worthy of considerable discussion, much as the musical performances, the main point of these features, are. There are some entertaining, evocative and genuinely brilliant performances on offer, namely the antagonistic group's rendition of Muse's Uprising (despite it being one of the less impressive singles from The Resistance). There are also some terribly unengaging, overbearing acts that don't provoke anything more than mild amusement from even the most enthusiastic of audience members. At the end of it all, the film earns a negative rating, but it's nothing exceptionally bad. Approach with caution for detractors of the initial outing, but for fans of Pitch Perfect, I presume you'll enjoy yourself fine enough with this mostly derivative if not somewhat fun foray into the melodramatic world of competitive acappella.
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America from 9:00 on: https://youtu.be/GUwLCQU10KQ
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