Haiku Revieu | Pitch Perfect 2

Pitch Perfect 2
★★★★

Singing their hearts out
The Bellas are back, pitches
Jokes and songs and jokes

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After a humiliating command performance at Lincoln Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform.

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WARNING: Possible spoilers ahead.

I adore the first Pitch Perfect movie. It's got it all: comedy, romance and musical numbers. And the soundtrack is one of my favorites to sing along to at the top of my lungs. So when I heard there was going to be a sequel—and one directed by the inimitable Elizabeth Banks, no less—I was very excited.

The majority of the cast from the first movie are back in the sequel, singing their hearts out, being the butt of jokes, and occasionally getting their swoon on. There's a little bit of plot, but the majority of the movie is about singing a capella. This isn't a bad thing: All of the Bellas, and the other individuals that sing throughout the movie, have great voices, and decent dancing skills. They also have excellent comedic timing.

One specific pro about the movie is the amount of cameos and new stars in the movie. I won't tell you who shows up, because spoilers, but all of the cameos made me grin, and the new characters in the movie fit well into the group.

One con would be the amount of really off-color and sexist jokes—made, not surprisingly, by John Michael Higgins's Announcer John—and a fair share of uncomfortably racist jokes—made by new Bella, Flo. But this sort of thing isn't unexpected, at least, not if you've seen the first movie.

Pitch Perfect 2 doesn't have that unique quality the original had, but it's still a great time at the theater (and in your car, thanks to the also excellent soundtrack).

Check it out: