Pitch Perfect 2 - B-

Anna Kendrick

Rated PG-13, 114 minutes
Wes's Grade: B-

Not as fun as the first film, the charming "Pitch Perfect 2" will still have you humming

I must admit that I'm a big fan of the 2012 A capella musical comedy "Pitch Perfect" because of its spunk and originality, and I knew it'd only be time before there was a sequel. The charming, aca-good "Pitch Perfect 2" hums its way into theaters this weekend, and while hitting a few nice comic notes, it's not as harmonious as the first film. Following an incident involving Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson, who's in need of her own Fat Amy movie) and a wardrobe malfunction at the Lincoln Center in front of the President of the United States, the Barden Bellas are suspended from the circuit of A Capella performing. In order to regain their status, the Bellas, led by Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Chloe (Brittany Snow) enter the international competition, a colossal task seeing as how no American team has ever won. Directed by "Pitch Perfect" co-star and actress Elizabeth Banks, who's back here providing questionable commentary with co-announcer John Michael Higgins, and written by "Pitch Perfect" scribe Kay Cannon, and based loosely from a book of the same name on a similar subject, "Pitch Perfect 2" is an enjoyable, predictable piece of fluff that will leave you with a big smile on your face, even if the first "Pitch Perfect" was a great deal more fun and original. Bringing back most of the cast from the first film along with a few new faces, it's certainly filled with energy and starts off well, with the three most memorable performances and sequences in the first act: the song "Lollipop" from the men's group The Treblemakers, led again by the charming but underused Skylar Astin, the cameo from Snoop Dogg and a terrific, hip-hop version of "Winter Wonderland/Here Comes Santa Claus" with Kendrick and a fun sing-off led by the amusing, slightly annoying comedian David Cross. Unfortunately, the second act drags and feels like filler with some unnecessary subplots and way too many characters, and the climax, while crowd-pleasing, is hardly surprising (and the Bellas are certainly good, though I'm unsure they're better than their immensely talented, German-based competition). Some of the immature potty humor that pushes its PG-13 rating should please the younger set, but other than that, if you enjoyed the first "Pitch Perfect" you'll still leave humming, just not as much as the first one.