-via IMDb.com

The Barden Bellas are back!

That's right, Pitch Perfect 2 reunites the a cappella powerhouse and everybody is back! Everybody. Well, except for Beca's snooty roommate and father from the original. The Bellas are joined by newcomer Hailee Stansfield as Emily, a new student who is a legacy member, daughter of a previous Bella.

Things aren't great for the Bellas. They've been disgraced in front of a national audience and stripped of the right to compete on the American a cappella circuit. To save their reputation, they decide to compete in an international competition and win it. They run into challenges along the way, including Anna Kendrick as Beca taking on an producing internship that tests her confidence and an incredibly talented German a cappella group who appear to be doing everything wherever the Bellas happen to go.

What's Good:

The gang's all here and they know and understand their characters inside and out. As before, all the actresses give strong performances and bring strong chemistry and musical prowess to their singing.

While Skylar Astin is back, his role is much smaller, not because he was a problem at all but because Beca's story arc is not contingent on her relationship with him this time out. He is a part of her life but her journey into the professional world and with the Bellas are what is important.

On the relationship front, the awkward, shy romance between Emily and Ben Platt's Benji is charming and cute. As well Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy and Adam Devine as Bumper have an amusing, strange love affair that is fun to watch.

The Bellas are on the verge of graduating and it is nice to see them struggling with that uncertainty and excitement, particularly Beca and Brittany Snow's Chloe dealing with their approaching responsibilities.

As ever, the musical numbers are great.

What's Not So Good:

The film did seem to hit many of the same beats as the previous film, even reprising the sing off sequence at the end of the first act/mid second act range, in itself not so bad except this time it was in a creepy house with a creepy David Cross officiating. The music was good here but the scene was pointless as we already knew the Bellas had lost their sound and that aforementioned German squad was conceited.

Some of the supporting Bellas aren't given a lot to do and I think that's unfortunate.

Overall I like this one better than the first. Watch it, enjoy, sing along. You know you want to.

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