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Pitch Perfect
Universal // PG-13 // September 28, 2012
List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Anrdoezrs]
Unpredictable and spontaneous elements have always been a welcome addition to film. Well, not every plot needs to contain huge twists and turns to be enjoyable. Take for example Pitch Perfect; an entertaining feature although movies don't get more predictable than this. Audiences will be able to foresee every major plot point, but this film embraces it. Instead of trying to find ways to surprise us, the cast and crew aim to satisfy our musical and comedic wants. With these goals in mind, Pitch Perfect succeeds.
Beca (Anna Kendrick) is a freshman at Barden University. She's interested in moving to Los Angeles and making music as a DJ, although her father doesn't support it. He wishes for her to finish college and get involved with a more stable career. Beca tries to make the best of her situation by working in the radio station on campus, which turns out to be lame when finds out that she'll only be stacking CD's. However, she happens to work this job alongside Jesse (Skylar Astin), who she gets along with instantly. Beca is ultimately pressured to join The Bellas, which is an all-girls singing group. Jesse joins the rival team, which is an all-boys singing group. The Bellas take on their male rivals in an a cappella singing competition.
Musicals have never caught my attention, but Pitch Perfect utilizes the music tastefully. Characters never randomly break out into song. The singing is reserved for when the story permits it, which is during the auditions, practices, and competitions. The comedy has its chance to shine through the remainder of the running time. While not every joke is funny, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. Each woman in the a cappella group has their own type of humor that they bring to the table. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) is sure to be a quick favorite for many viewers. She's raunchy, blunt, and delivers most of the dialogue that will have you laughing out loud. In fact, The Bellas all have their spot that they fill in the story, although some of the supporting characters are a bit of a disappointment.
The central characters are often the saving grace. The romantic sequences of this film feel like an excuse to involve a love story. The relationship between Beca and Jesse is superficial and is a bit out of place, especially with the random melodramatic moments between the two. The main characters will keep audiences actually caring about what happens next, even though you'll see where the film is going extremely quickly. The interactions between The Bellas are hilarious and perhaps one of the best things that this film has to offer. Screenwriter Kay Cannon deserves to be noticed for delivering characters that audiences will actually care about, regardless of the plot's flaws. From a glance, this formulaic and hokey plot line shouldn't work. However, it actually works rather well. There isn't anything perfect about the writing, but people should be able to enjoy this for its vibrant characters and their humor.
This all-girls singing group has a talented cast. Anna Kendrick plays Beca quite well. She has a unique charm on screen that audiences will find enchanting. Anna Champ is Aubrey, the incredibly rude leader of the group. She does a good job with this ultra-rude character, especially during the arguments. Rebel Wilson steals almost every scenes she's in as Fat Amy. This is the funniest character in the movie and Wilson will have you laughing in almost every scene she's in. The supporting cast didn't receive the same treatment as the leading roles. Skylar Astin doesn't connect with his audience as well as others. His character doesn't deliver much humor and is in this film only to have a love interest for our leading lady. Regardless of the supporting roles, these three actresses shine the brightest. These characters wouldn't be as charming without Kendrick, Champ, and Wilson on board. While none of these performances will win any awards, they're fitting for the film.
Theater fans will be interested in Pitch Perfect for its music and dancing. Unfortunately, the presentation of the competitions is average. While the a cappella sounds good, the choreography should have been better. One of the only scenes that visually pulls it off is during the singing battle between the a cappella groups where they have to each sing a song on the spot that fits within the random criteria selected. It's fun and energetic without the mediocre dancing. Some audiences might even find some of these mashups to be worth buying. The majority of the music in Pitch Perfect is what you'd expect to hear from the "Top 20" on the radio. Some of these songs are mashed up in ways that will have viewers tapping their feet to the beat.
Pitch Perfect is far from perfection, but it's still an enjoyable musical comedy. Movies don't get more predictable than this, although that doesn't stop this from being a venture worth taking. The characters are likable and the humor has its moments where it shines. Rebel Wilson is absolutely hilarious as Fat Amy. She steals every single scene she's in. Characters such as Fat Amy make the feature go by extremely quickly, as they have successfully delivered an entertaining film with swift pacing. Pitch Perfect comes recommended for those looking for a fun musical comedy. It's available now in limited release and will be available everywhere October 5th.
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