Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
The Bellas are back, and they are better than ever. After being humiliated in front of none other than the President of the United States of America, the Bellas are taken out of the Aca-Circuit. In order to clear their name, and regain their status, the Bellas take on a seemingly impossible task: winning an international competition no American team has ever won. In order to accomplish this monumental task, they need to strengthen the bonds of friendship and sisterhood and blow away the competition with their amazing aca-magic! With all new friends and old rivals tagging along for the trip, the Bellas can hopefully accomplish their dreams.
Pitch Perfect 2 is a largely formulaic sequel that recycles the underdog-competition structure of the original with diminishing returns. The plot offers little surprise — the Bellas face a setback, must prove themselves, and triumph at a big finale — hitting every expected beat. The ensemble cast remains charming and the comedic performances (particularly Rebel Wilson and the returning leads) keep energy levels up, earning an above-average acting score. Cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable for a music-comedy. Novelty suffers as a by-the-numbers sequel that swaps a national competition for an international one without meaningfully reinventing the formula. The finale performance is crowd-pleasing and emotionally satisfying for fans of the series, landing a decent ending score.