FILM: Pitch Perfect 2 (dir: Elizabeth Banks, 2015)

"What an inspiration to girls all across the country who are too ugly to be cheerleaders."

With a return of almost all of the main characters from the original film, Pitch Perfect 2 proves to be a somewhat routine sequel.  After a spectacularly mindboggling teaser that sets in motion this movie's events, this film is essentially a loose (and flabbier) re-run of its predecessor, the character arcs are less developed and less interesting than before, product placement could not be more blatant, and the World Championships gives the writers the chance to extend their simplistic racial stereotyping beyond the USA.  One scene (the campfire scene) brings back the real feel of the 2012 original, and the return of Banks and Higgins as the outrageous commentators is still comedy gold, and owing to the popularity of the Fat Amy character Rebel Wilson is given more screen time but to less effect.  Whilst not a bad film overall, Pitch Perfect 2 does fall short of the original.