Pitch Perfect (2012)

I was a little late to the Pitch Perfect party, which might seem a little strange since I’m a singer and have sung a cappella in both standard choir and show choir settings, but I never heard much about this film until after it had been released in theaters, at which point there were other films that ranked higher on my list. I finally caught it at the local dollar theater, and I’m glad I did; for what it is, it’s a pretty enjoyable film.

My main praise of Pitch Perfect is for the music – the a cappella arrangements are top-notch and sound fantastic, from both the main group of female singers and from the other groups it competes against. In fact, it was the music that drove my interest in the film in the first place; though the story isn’t awful (it’s slightly reminiscent of Sister Act 2), it’s not going to get nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay or anything. There are three standout performances in this film: Anna Kendrick, aside from being gorgeous, has a beautiful voice and carries the film well with her strong performance, while Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy brings the film most of its laughs (horizontal running, anyone?). Skylar Astin also has a killer voice and is very likable as Jesse.

There’s not much else to be said for this film; it’s a movie to be enjoyed for what it is rather than to be scrutinized as if it were an Oscar contender. It’s a fun film with lots of great music, and, while there are a couple of moments that I could have done without – I’m not a huge fan of projectile vomit, and if I hear someone say “a ca[random word]” one more time, I might explode – Pitch Perfect is very entertaining, plain and simple.

-Chad

Rating: 3 (out of 5)

MPAA: PG-13 – for sexual material, language and drug references