I despise Glee and every other overly dramatic music-based cliche that has been inspired by it. Prior to seeing Pitch Perfect, I was dreading it, so imagine my surprise when I found myself enjoying it.
Anna Kendrick stars as Beca, a college freshman who is trying her best to rebel against her divorced parents – especially her father, who teaches at the university she is being forced to attend. If she had things her way, Beca would move to Los Angeles and take a crack at getting a job at a record label finding and promoting new talent. With a knack for remixing music, Beca’s end goal is to record her own music.
Trying to inspire greatness, Beca’s dad makes a deal with her that if she will actually give college a shot both academically and socially, then if she still desires to, he will support and fund her move to LA. Her academic efforts are never a plot point of Pitch Perfect; instead, it focuses on the extracurricular aspect. After much pressure, Beca joins a competitive all-girls A cappella group. I’m sure you can piece together exactly what happens from here out. Just like Beca’s music, the plot is a remix of every teen-ish musical in existence.
So, what is it that makes Pitch Perfect worth watching? The comedy. Pitch Perfect is much funnier than it ought to be. Cameos warrant loads of great laughs, making it funnier than it has the right to be. I can’t recommend the movie based on its story, but only on its script.
If you have enjoyed all of the song-and-dance movies up until now, then my recommendation surely shows you that this one is actually better than the rest. If you dislike them as much as I do, then you’ll be surprised at what you get with Pitch Perfect.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
