Pitch Perfect is a comedy set in the world of college a cappella. Teams are competing to make it to the national stage, battling both each other and personality conflicts within. Hilarity ensues. Well, maybe not "hilarity," but... amusement?
It's possible you'll recognize some of the faces in the film. Anna Kendrick was in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Adam DeVine is part of Comedy Central's bizarre Workaholics. Anna Camp has had memorable recurring roles on Mad Men and The Good Wife. If you're into the Broadway theater scene, you may have caught Skylar Astin in Spring Awakening. But most critics singled out Rebel Wilson (who also appeared in Bridesmaids) as the one who ran away with this film with her no-holds-barred character of "Fat Amy."
The whole of this film is greater than the sum of its parts. There aren't a ton of laugh-out-loud moments. The staging of performances doesn't quite knock your socks off. The plot is rather predictable. But it all blends into a cocktail that is pretty fun. It keeps a smile on your face.
The song choices and arrangements are solid throughout. There are some inspired mash-ups that actually work (and anyone who has read my Glee reviews will know, I'm not usually a fan of mash-ups). Plus, because the main group in the story is all female, the sound of most of the songs is quite different from most a cappella music.
There's also an entertaining runner of two competition commentators, played by John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks (the latter of whom is also a producer on the film). The schtick they do is perhaps along the lines of Gary Cole and Jason Bateman's comedy in Dodgeball, but it's still a gag that works.
In all, I wouldn't say it's a must-see movie, but if you feel at all inclined to check it out, I'd wager you'll be entertained. I give it a B.
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