1/2

USA 2014
Opening May 14, 2015

Directed by: Elizabeth Banks
Writing credits: Kay Cannon, Mickey Rapkin
Principle actors: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Skylar Astin, Adam DeVine, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean, Hanna Mae Lee

Becca, Jesse, Chloe, Aubrey, Fat Amy, Stacie, Cynthia-Rose, Lily and all the rest of the a cappella singers performing as Barden Belles and familiar from the original Pitch Perfect film, have returned to Barden University for their senior year. They have won almost all competitions; now it’s time to plan for a future after graduation, consider boyfriends, jobs, and life without the familiar group support. Needless to say, there is an international competition in Copenhagen. Their biggest rival is a German group called Das Sound Machine.

The ending is obvious, but before we get there, we enjoy interaction among the girls, who represent every possible American: Afro-American, Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian, thin, fat, talented, etc. Rebel Wilson, who plays Fat Amy, is from Australia. The so-called German members of Das Sound Machine are, naturally, clichés: over-tall, blond, obnoxious, dressed in black. (Their names in the credits seem very Scandinavian.). Snoop Dog makes an appearance to add some rap. I counted more than 50 songs in the credits. The original idea comes from the nonfiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin, in which he explores the history of a cappella and the explosion of this art in U.S. universities. Everything, including the open-air performance in Copenhagen, is filmed on and around Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. (Becky T.)