The Bardon Bellas are back in the sequel that brought the art of a capella into mainstream media.
The sequel follows the group after an incident happens during a performance at the Lincoln Center for the President. It results in the suspension of the group in the national circuit but they find a way to compete in the world competition, which will help them regain their title and continue performing.
The film features the classic characters played by Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, and Brittany Snow as well as new characters played by Hailee Steinfield and German YouTuber Flula Borg. A capella groups Pentatonix and the Filharmonics also make an appearance.
The movie shows evident character development in more of a “slice of life” compared to the first movie, which focused more on rehearsals and performances. Becca starts an internship with a recording studio and hides it from the group, knowing they would freak if they found out she focusing on her future rather than the Bellas. Fat Amy finds her random hook-ups with Bumper to be something more, so she denies the fact while he embraces it. A freshman Bella legacy, Emily, joins the group and tries to let her voice (and song) be heard while making her mom proud as well as accepting the affections of Benji. These characters grow up and find themselves and it calls for a lot of passion on their part.
While this is a comedy, it definitely pulls some emotional strings in the ways of rejection, harsh honesty and more. The group dynamic builds from reliance from theatrics to the reformation of the group’s sound. After agreeing to perform in the world championships, they find competition in the form of the German group Das Sound Machine, the current-holding world champions. This brings the group to reevaluate themselves and reform in hopes of becoming the new world champions.
Overall, the film is better than the first. It’s more than a college movie. It’s in-your-face, honest, and inspirational, and a definite must-see that’ll have you laughing, crying, and singing. It proves again that a capella is more than a hobby; it’s life.
