Becca is a college freshman who joins the Barden Bellas and helps them discover both a new look and a new sound for themselves as they prepare to compete in the collegiate acappella finals. Seeing as though I reviewed the sequel, I would like to take a look back at where this franchise first began. I like the first film quite a bit. Not only does it have a great cast, but some hilarious moments, genuine heart (as I stated in my review of the sequel), and fantastic music.
You guys are gonna get pitch-slapped so hard
First and foremost, the music in this film is awesome. All the musical numbers are great, but the Bellas final performance steals the show. Between the first and the second film, it is the best musical performance. I love how creative it is, and just how catchy the music is. Of course the other musical numbers are also great, but that was the one I find myself watching on YouTube over and over again. The characters themselves are all fairly interesting. I really connected with them, and loved watching their relationship evolve over the course of the film. Becca was occasionally a bit annoying, but Anna Kendrick is too adorable to make me dislike her. The films is also consistently funny. It had some bad jokes here and there (especially with the barfing gag) but overall I found myself laughing a lot. Not only that, but the film had considerable heart. This was mainly shown through the relationship between the Bellas and Becca’s relationship with Jesse.
Hands in, a-ca-bitches!
A problem that I do have with the comedy in this film is similar to what I have with the second one. The Aca-puns are not funny at all. In fact they are very off putting. As far as the plot, it is serviceable. By this, I mean it does its’ job, but nothing more. I do like the plot of the second film much more because this one felt very been there done that. Another aspect of the plot that I do not like is the fact that the film takes place at a university, but aside for the first few minutes it does not feel that way. The dorm rooms look too nice and Becca (nor any other character) do not attend classes or do homework. This is somewhat acknowledged by Becca’s father, but that is not enough for me. I think adding in a bit of college life would have kept the plot from feeling as familiar as it did. This is what really holds down the film for me. The fact that the film (occasionally) relied too much on cheap gags for laughs, and the plot being fairly stale.
Closing Remarks
Even with some problems, I still really enjoy Pitch Perfect. It is frequently funny, especially when it does not rely on vomiting or acapella puns. The plot definitely needed some work, but the film hits its’ high notes where they matter and truly delivers an entertaining film. If you are interested in purchasing Pitch Perfect, you can do so from amazon and get a pretty good deal: Pitch Perfect