Pitch Perfect was hilarious, feel-good fun, and one of the surprise hits of 2012.
The set-up was hardly groundbreaking - it followed a group of college girls' successes, failures and fallouts on their way to becoming a champion a cappella group. It worked largely thanks to a snappy, smart script from Kay Cannon and a great cast, and because it didn't try too hard.
Second time around you can see the pressure of the sequel in the slicker performances, with better production values enlisted to help measure up to Pitch Perfect's success. The Glee/StreetDance/Step Up fans will appreciate the effort that's gone into the bigger, bolder choreography and performances, with a special mention for rival German team Das Sound Machine.
Thankfully though, the sequel doesn't mess with the rest of the magic formula that worked so well first time: Rebel Wilson, kooky characters spitting out sassy quips, and music mash-ups that are as clever as they are toe-tappingly enjoyable. All this makes up for the fact Pitch Perfect 2 is a touch light on story and heavy on music.
The Barden Bellas are now three-time national champs, on the verge of graduating, and have the world championships, to be held in Copenhagen, in their sights. Their preparation suffers a setback when the group is banned from performing in America after Fat Amy suffers a wardrobe malfunction when performing for the President on his birthday. It's a present he won't forget, and a hilarious gag to get the film rolling.
