After a humiliating performance at the Lincoln Centre, the Barden Bellas have to battle for their rights to perform.

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2015)

Hilarious, wacky and smart are only some of the words that best describe Pitch Perfect 2. Taking place 3 years after the original, this film did have some high expectations to live up too. The humour as well as the strong female characters involved created something with little to complain about. Sexist jokes such as 'Woman are about as good at a coppella as they are at being doctors' said by John (John Michael Higgins) to then be put down by such comments like 'crack a Book, John' said by Gail (Elizabeth Banks), is displaying woman power. The film did a good job at not living up to the hype, with many critics dubbing the film to be better than the first. But like we all know, films with hype generally don't live up to expectations, turning a film from a success to a shamble in weeks. Thanks to many of the original cast reigniting their roles in this film, it meant for a quick and easy introduction, with all the characters already built and back stories set.
Beca (Anna Kendrick) has worked her way up from the first film, with her natural and powerful singing ability; we see her rise from the new comer in the original to the leader in Pitch Perfect 2. We see her leadership and her desire to achieving her real goal in life, whilst being the figurehead for all of the other girls to follow. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) has recreated her role from the original in a much more humorous and creative way, being the main supplier of laughs throughout the film, from her sexual antics to her denial of love she is always throwing laughs at us, giving us the feeling of 'I wish she was my friend'. Jason Moore didn't continue his role as director in the sequel, leaving the job to Elizabeth Bank to direct and act in this hilarious sequel. Although during the end performance, there is obvious and silly CGI green screens that even the least of film nerds would be able to reorganise, granted this isn't just down to the director, but the lack of a 'Perfect' special effect expert. However you can't take away the excellent choreography and excellent screen direction that she produced, with the breath taking dancing and the powerful voices, you are fully entertained throughout each performance, if it's the plot changing performance or if its when Amy decides to serenade the man of her dreams. The film doesn't change much from the first film, with a similar plot line and the use of the same scenes during the film, like the group showdown where they have to blurt out songs without compromise for them to lose only too their main competition, showing the lack of creativity by the writers.
Beca and Fat Amy both stealing the stage with their support acts Chloe (Brittany Snow) and Lilly (Hana Mea Lee) not far behind left little room for the new characters to grow, leaving characters such as Flo (Chrissie Fit) as a nameless character that you just remember as 'The New One'. Down too the fact that she wasn't a very fun character and didn't have the personality to out shines the outrageous Amy.
Pitch Perfect 2 starts 3 years after the original, meaning that many of the girls are in their final year of college. However Chloe (Brittany Snow) who was one of the main Barden Bella's in the first had actually been at college for 7 years, without no thought of what she was going to do after and knowing what she was even doing at college. This was a plot hole in the film that overall didn't have many, however the nature of her role in the film, you get past the fact that she is a bit of a sado who doesn't want to leave her life and go into real world.
The performances put on by the Barden Bella's where much better in this one, but it had to be because the competition was a lot better, although the plot was similar but on a larger level it still gave us lots of laughs throughout, weather it help the story or didn't. The story wasn't very strong and you could tell that the ideas where lacking throughout the film. You could always tell that they were going to bring out an amazing performance to try achieving their goal, making the film lack in excitement and emotion.
Where the film lacks in plot it makes up in humour, giving you laughs throughout the whole film, with there wacky yet clever jokes. The film has not moved on much from the original with the plot being basically the without the build-up to allow characters to grow. Although it has some flaws that with more creative writers could have been avoided, it is still a good watch to have a laugh with friends.