Pitch Perfect

2012 musical comedy

Rating: 14/20 (Jennifer: fell asleep; Emma: 18/20)

Plot: All Beca (you almost lost a point because of that spelling, Pitch Perfect) wants to do is make music and be a disc jockey, but her dad, who happens to teach at the same college she attends, makes a deal with her and talks her into participating in an extracurricular activity. She joins one of the numerous a capella groups, The Bellas, and tries to shake things up as they compete for a chance to win some competition that I have doubts actually exists.

Why the hell did I like this movie? I'm trying to think of reasons why I don't like it, but gosh darn it, I can't help myself. This is something Emma likes, so I decided to watch it with her. I fully expected to hate the thing, but the cute a capella opening for the Universal Studios screen peaked my interest, and it's hard to hate a movie that features projectile vomiting before the credits even begin. The comedy is a little too raunchy for my tastes, or maybe it's just the wrong kind of raunchiness, but I did laugh a few times, especially at the antics from the commentators played by John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks. Of course, we did watch this very late at night, so maybe my defenses were down. Trying to catch everything the mumbling Asian Bella said became a little game. I think she must have been played by Hana Mae Lee because that kind of looks like an Asian name. "Want to see a dead body?" is when I first started paying attention and caught "I set fires to feel joy," "That's adorable," and "I ate my twin in the womb" that made me all chuckle. But as I said, my defenses were probably down. Look at me! Making excuses for liking this movie! This is the very definition of a guilty pleasure. And the musical moments were pretty fantastic. I liked the "riff off" in what seemed to be a very dangerous part of town, and I would have loved to see more from the group that used sock puppets. Clever stuff going on with those musical numbers though, and they were consistently surprising. I liked Adam DeVine who I know only from this latest season of Modern Family, but there's something about the kid's face that I don't care for. The cut of his jib, I guess. But he nailed expressions in this, and I couldn't stop watching him to see what that stupid face would do next. I also liked Rebel Wilson in this, surprising since the sitcom she's currently starring in is annoying. There were several scenes I could have done without in this--a scene with some old guys makes no sense and seems out of place--and I thought the love story was too Hollywood, but that's probably expected in a movie that is made for girls in their late teens. Oh, and a realization: Anna Kendrick really needs to play Han and Leia's daughter in these new Star Wars movies. She's got Carrie Fisher's face. Disney wouldn't even have to Jar-Jar-ize her to make that seem totally realistic.

Anyway, I liked this movie, will see the sequel when it comes out, and will fight anybody who makes fun of me for either of those first two statements. I've been looking for an excuse to fight somebody for a long time anyway.