PITCH PERFECT REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Most musicals released in cinemas are motion picture adaptations based on Broadway or West End productions and aren't original. However, after the release of Pitch Perfect in 2012, it proved that there's still room for fresh musicals that are set in modern day and feature well-known songs. Pitch Perfect is entertaining and features a group of interesting and funny characters, especially Rebel Wilson's Fat Amy. 

Beca (Anna Kendrick) is that girl who'd rather listen to what's coming out of her headphones than what's coming out of you. Arriving at her new college, she finds herself not right for any clique but somehow is muscled into one that she never would have picked on her own: alongside mean girls, sweet girls and weird girls whose only thing in common is how good they sound when they sing together. When Beca takes this acoustic singing group out of their world of traditional arrangements and perfect harmonies into all-new mash-ups, they fight to climb their way to the top of the cutthroat world of college acappella. This could wind up either the coolest thing they'll ever do or the most insane, and it will probably be a little of both.

At the time of Pitch Perfect's release, Kendrick was known for her supporting roles including Jessica in the Twilight films and as Stacey Pilgrim in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. She makes the transition from supporting to leading actress really well and shows off, not only her acting, but her singing talents as well. She also has great comedic timing and makes Beca a likable protagonist. Despite her father forcing her to go to college, in her spare time she still works hard remixing popular songs on her laptop. Supporting roles come from Wilson as Fat Amy, Anna Camp as Aubrey, the leader of the Barden Bellas, Brittany Snow as her friend, Chloe and Skylar Astin as a potential love interest for Beca, Jesse. The stand out is Wilson as Fat Amy. She is arguably the most memorable character as she has plenty of one liners and brings most of the comedic elements to the film. She isn't afraid to say what she really thinks which makes her both funny and admirable. Camp portrays Aubrey as a determined perfectionist and, most of the time, she does come across as extremely bossy but that's only because she wants to win the national acapella competition. Snow is perfectly sweet as Aubrey's best friend and convinces Beca to join the group in one hilarious shower scene. Astin and Kendrick bring the romance to the film and we see their relationship develop as the two watch classic movies together such as The Breakfast Club. Unfortunately, Jesse is a member of the rival group and the two must keep their relationship a secret. Overall, the performances featured in Pitch Perfect are strong and there's not a bad performance to be found. 

Pitch Perfect features a lot of fresh takes on popular songs, including Rihanna's 'Don't Stop The Music' and Miley Cyrus' 'Party in the USA' just to name a few. This is where the film is at its most entertaining as it's fun watching all the groups perform their own version of well-known songs. In one scene, we the Barden Bellas partake in a battle between the other groups known as the 'Riff Off' and the topics of the song include 'Ladies of the 80s' and 'Songs About Sex' which then leads to Beca singing her cover of Blackstreet's 'No Diggity'. 

The screenplay is written by Kay Cannon and is based on the book by Mickey Rapkin and contains enough relatable dialogue to make it an enjoyable film. She was a writer on the 30 Rock television series and has come up with a screenplay that seems to give the right amount of time to each individual to make them memorable. 

Obviously, with the majority of the main characters being females, it's understandable that this will appeal to women, especially those in their early teens. A lot of people will be able to relate to Beca whose father is forcing her to do something she doesn't want to do. However, she doesn't let this deter her and still works hard on achieving her dream. She also doesn't fall for Jesse straightaway like many women in romantic comedies tend to do. The two bond over the course of the film and their relationship develops despite them being members of two rival groups.

Overall, Pitch Perfect is a highly entertaining film with a strong leading performance from Anna Kendrick and a hilarious supporting performance from Rebel Wilson. It also features original takes on popular and well-known songs.

7/10