6.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.3 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
A sequel to the 2012 musical comedy that follows Fat Amy and Beca through their senior year at Barden University.
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Skylar AstinComedy | 100% |
Romance | 47% |
Teen | 43% |
Musical | 31% |
Music | 16% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
French (Canada): DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
"If we don't win, the Bellas are over!" declares one of the girls when the group is faced with a do-or-die competition. Big franchise in manufactured danger alert! Can the girls of Barden University reclaim both their dignity following a very public wardrobe malfunction and their top spot as the nation's most adored a cappella group? With both the original and Pitch Perfect 2 raking in around 10x their budgets at the box office and a third movie in the works, the outcome doesn't really seem to be much in question, but with these sorts of movies, they rarely are. Pitch Perfect 2 follows the tried-and-true singing/dancing movie formula in which a group of performers faces some adversity that must be overcome against some sneering, highly talented, seemingly unstoppable powerhouse standing in their way of glory. Ho-hum. But Pitch Perfect 2 doesn't pretend that there's any real relevance here. Really, one of the performers accidentally mooning -- and then some -- the President of the United States sets the plot in motion, and it also sets the movie apart as a none-too-serious take on all of the similarly structured films to come before it. And it's that playful side that saves it. The film simply asks the audience to come along for the laughs, the tunes, and the characters, all but acknowledging the drama's manufactured nature and using it as a propellant for the things the movie otherwise does well on the way to the inevitable.
Punished.
Pitch Perfect 2's 1080p transfer dazzles. It's colorful and abundantly so, with clothes the true standout. Attire -- costumes, casual wear -- is consistently rich in color and precise in vibrancy. Colors leap off the screen both in dialogue segments as well as dance routines. Natural greens around campus are lively and cheery, with nice support accents in the way of baby blue skies and earthy campus buildings. Image clarity is tremendous. Details are naturally sharp and revealing, with faces and clothes in particular standing out, but background support accents enjoying just as much raw definition. Black levels are deep and accurate and flesh tones, save for a few mild pushes to pink, appear natural. Mild noise persists, but there's no evidence of banding, macroblocking, aliasing, or other maladies. This is a healthy, A-grade transfer from Universal.
Pitch Perfect 2 belts out a high end DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation hits all the notes just about as perfectly as the film's title suggests, with pinpoint lyrical definition and all of the support elements creating a rich, dynamically immersive harmony. Sing-offs and performances are aggressively invigorating as the sound swirls around the stage, focused up front but easily enveloping the audience in songs. There's a nice bit of LFE support when the situation demands; a tangible low end weight supports the German band's musical introduction. Crowd applause nicely fills the stage but feels mildly restrained to give the track's most dominant elements priority. A few ambient support pieces gently help to define various environments. But the movie is mostly about singing and talking. Dialogue is presented richly and cleanly from the center with a few examples of microphone reverberation helping to more fully set a few scenes. This is an unsurprisingly strong track that suits the movie in every way.
Pitch Perfect 2 offers a packed supplementary package and contains a commentary; featurettes; deleted, extended, and alternate scenes;
and much more. The package also includes a DVD copy of the film as
well as a voucher for a UV/iTunes digital copy.
Pitch Perfect 2 doesn't take itself even the least bit serious. That's a necessary approach considering that, at its core, the film lacks even a smidgen of creativity. It gets by on its cast camaraderie and endless flow of humor, which helps mask the very much cliché story details through which the movie maneuvers. Fans of the original should enjoy this follow-up considering that it maintains a core approach from which it never deviates. Universal's Blu-ray release of Pitch Perfect 2 features top-end video and audio. Supplements are many in number but a bit superficial in quality. Recommended.
with Exclusive Bonus Content
2015
2015
Rental Copy
2015
Pitch Perfect 3 Fandango Cash
2015
2015
2012
2017
Sing-Along Edition
2018
2-Disc Shake and Shimmy Edition
2007
2009
2012-2013
Rockin' Rydell Edition
1978
2008
10th Anniversary Edition
2008
2011
American Pie 3 | Unrated + Theatrical
2003
Extended Edition
2007
2018
2008
2010
2018
2008
1988
Special Edition | MVD Marquee Collection
2004
2007