Pitch Perfect - movie review

I realize that my first two reviews have been of kind of heavy movies, so this time, I'm gonna go with something a little bit more light-hearted.

Pitch Perfect is about competative collegiate acappella. Yeah, I know, but hear me out.

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is an aspiring DJ/music producer who reluctantly goes to college (according to her dad's wishes), but hates it there. She doesn't really try, and is just waiting for it to be over so that she can give her dream career a real shot. But when she's recruited by an all-girls acappella group, the Barden Bellas, she becomes part of this random group of girls, with a lot of spirit (with the risk of sounding cheesy, here), and a highly ambitious, controlling leader, Aubrey. Aubrey simply refuses to accept Beca's input, even though it could really help them win against their male counterparts of the university, the Treblemakers, in the huge competition they're in. Lots of drama, comedy and singing ensues.

 

The thing about this movie is, you think you know the story. And sure, you probably kind of do. But it's still great to watch, and the dialogue is really funny and original. The characters are a fun blend, some with really weird quirks and personalities (like the creepy Asian girl who talks so quietly it's nearly unintelligable, but when she speaks, she always says something completely fucked up). Personally, I think the main character, Beca, is really cool, not to mention Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), who's just generally awesome. The two commentators that show up throughout the movie (Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins) provide some hilarious, at times very inappropriate commentary, and there's lots of singing, obviously, but it's not a musical, and it doesn't get cheesy, like Glee. It's all really funny, and yes, there's a love story in there, of course, and it's a really sweet one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. At times, it was surprisingly unpredictable, and it's really funny, and I've always had a soft spot for movies that involve singing (musical or no). I'd give Pitch Perfect 4 out of 5 stars.

- You call yourself Fat Amy?
- Yeah, so twig bitches like you don't do it behind my back.
  - Aubrey and Fat Amy