PITCH PERFECT 2

US, 2015, 115 minutes, Colour.
Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine?, Ben Platt, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks.
Directed by Elizabeth Banks.

Audiences and critics were surprised and many delighted when they saw Pitch Perfect in 2012. In fact, the producers were also more than delighted with the response and decided that a sequel was in order. The sequel doesn’t have the surprise of the first film but certainly matches it in entertainment value.

The setting is a college where there are A Capella choirs, a competent male choir but, when you come to think of it and look at the members of the choir, an extraordinarily successful female choir, The Bellas. The film opens with a reminder of their success in the first film, coming from almost nothing, with an eccentric group of characters as singers, to win competitions. And here they are, with President and Michelle Obama edited into the audience!

A good deal of the success of the first film was the presence of Rebel Wilson, keeping her Australian accent as Fat Amy, direct in what she says, caught up in many faux pas, and ruining the gala performance with a garment split while she is suspended high above the stage, causing gasps, instant photos, journalistic scandal, the mockery of the commentary team, the displeasure of the principle of the College and their exclusion from further competitive performing. So, we know where this is all heading.

In the first film, the comperes, John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks (who also directed this film), were very amusing and are here, he an absolute chauvinist, she taunting him without his realising.

Into the mix comes a young enthusiastic girl ( Hailee Steinfeld) whose mother was a Bella and who is absorbed the atmosphere of the group and wants to audition. She also writes her own songs. With great ease, she fits into the group, even attracting the attention of one of the boys in the other choir.

The main rival to success is a German, particularly Teutonic, group, The Sound Machine, dressed in black, severe and with arrogant comments, athletic and robotic movements, with the leaders staring down and intimidating Beca, one of the inspirers of the Bellas. The screenplay provides several occasions for dance-offs between The Sound Machine and The Bellas, especially when a fan of A Capella groups holds a private competition with five groups, each working off the other.

One of the other realities the women in the group have to face is that they are ending their years of college and have to prepare for life after. Beca is enterprising and has won an internship with a record company, with a hard-driving producer who is impressed when she suggests a way of accompaniment for an album to be made with Snoop Dog and Christmas songs.

The group also goes to a retreat run by one of the former Bellas, a two-day experience of physical training, singing, bonding. Which means that they are then ready go to Copenhagen to vie for the international competition and title – and trying to outdo The Sound Machine.

Several of the cast return, especially Anna Kendrick as Beca and, as mentioned, Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. The boys are back, and there is and touches of romance – but, especially Fat Amy and her relationship with security guard, Bumper, but she almost spoils it all, The retreatmakes her realise that she is in love and paddles, literally, a canoe across the river to be reunited with him.

Not something that will stay all that long in the memory, but with the performances, the humour, the range of music, it is pleasant while it is there on the screen.

1. The popularity of the first film, becoming a cult film? The female perspective, women, singing, ambitions?

2. The focus on music, A Capella?

3. The title, the rehearsals, auditions, the choir, performances?

4. The status of the Bellas, the winners, their performance, success? In Washington, President Obama and his wife in the audience, the accident, its being filmed, the reaction of the journalists, the commentary? Fat Amy and the disaster?

5. John and Gail, the commentary, with the principal of the College? The rules, the choir being excluded?

6. John and Gail, the personalities, humour, John as chauvinistic, his putdown of women? Gail and her innuendo remarks?

7. The women in their final year, life after college, Becca and her ambitions, Chloe and her not facing leaving? Fat Amy? The bonds between the women, the other members of the choir, their personalities, eccentricities? The reaction to being excluded?

8. Emily, arriving with her mother, her aims, her mother as a singer, joining the Bellas, the meeting, her enthusiasm, the audition, singing, her own song, Fat Amy and the comments about talking about Emily when she was present? The vote, acceptance? Benji and his attention to her? Writing her songs, Becca and her help, the recording, the production of the song? The producer himself, listening, accepting it? Singing the song in the finale?

9. Becca, her role with the Bellas, going to the internship, the interview, the menial jobs? The support of Aston? With the group, the boss and his lectures, continually putting down Dax, Snoop Dog and his songs, the Christmas disk? Her idea, the rhythm, the favourable response? Her not telling the group that she was doing the internship?

10. Chloe, her leadership, upset about the exclusion, her fears, deciding to graduate?

11. Fat Amy, her dialogue, the zingers, the truth, blunt speaking, the opening accident, her apology? Her participation in the group? The boy and his kiss, his preparing the food in the gazebo, rejection, his being hurt? Her realisation that she loved him? The canoe across the river, her love and the kiss? Reconciliation? And the final credits with his singing and the audition?

12. The Sound Machine, German, the personnel, the vivid performance, the Teutonic repartee, superiority, Becca’s reaction?

13. The A Capella fan, the club, the competition, the teams? The male group from the College? And their initial performance for welcoming the students for the academic year? The Green Bay team? The other exuberant men? The categories of singing, the competitive element, each working off the other, the eliminations? Emily and her singing her song and their being eliminated?

14. The retreat, the former Bella, the cramped conditions, tough, singing and the physical activity? Surviving, the camp, their feeling together and ready for the competition?

15. Copenhagen, the site of the competition, everybody getting ready? The audience, Benji and Aston, the Sound Machine and the performance, the Bellas and their song, Emily’s song, the lights, everybody joining in, the success?

16. The aftermath, a new stage in life? Success?