Highly entertaining

If the hit TV show Glee and the comedy movie Bring it On had a baby, the result would be Pitch Perfect.

 Although it may sound like complete drivel to most people out there, being a fan of anything musical, I found the movie a complete blast.

Not only did it provide a mindlessly entertaining college movie (my guilty pleasure) but it also hit a fair share of side-splitting high notes.

From being known as the ‘friend’ from Twilight, Anna Kendrick finally earns her moment in the spotlight and leads a cast of singing divas to provide a fun toe-tapping energetic musical that had the whole theatre laughing and singing along.

The story follows Becca, a new college student with an introvert personality. Although the aspiring music producer would rather quit university life and head to Los Angeles to start her career, her controlling father, who also happens to be a professor, forces her to get an education before pursuing her future plans.

At Barden University campus, the popular cut-throat competitiveness of acapella singing groups creates rivalries between the students and coming up to the start of a new year, the different teams are looking to recruit freshman.

Of these is the Bellas, an all-female group who urgently need new blood as most of their members left after an embarrassing stint took away their chances of beating male rivals, The Treblemakers, in the national finals of the previous spring.

With the options appearing thin, original members, Aubrey, the control freak, and Chloe (Snow), her sidekick and airhead, coerce the gloomy freshman Becca into the Bellas.

Other rookies also fall for their manipulative ways with Fat Amy (Wilson), Lilly (Hana Mae Lee), an Asian doll-type girl who speaks in whispers and Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean), a black teenager that Fat Amy thinks may be a boy, all becoming part of the team.

Although disciplinarian Aubrey bans all Bellas from mingling with The Treblemakers, which is fronted by the ultra-obnoxious but talented Bumper (Adam DeVine), Becca nonetheless falls for Jesse (Skyler Astin), a new ‘Treble’ and a wannabe film music composer.

When I found out that Jason Moore directed Pitch Perfect, I was not surprised that I had so much fun, as I had seen his staging of Avenue Q on Broadway and he delivered the same brilliance on film as he did on stage.

Wilson, the audacious Aussie, steals the show as the self-named Fat Amy and provided the movie with hilarious scenes as she has done in the past with films such as Bridesmaids. She shows the audience that fat people can not only dance but can also capture the audience’s attention while doing so Ö even though it may be for the wrong reasons.

However, Kendrick’s ability to take centre stage is what made the movie successful. As her role as a supporting actress in most of her films I was a bit wary when I found she was the main this time around. Yet, her voice shone through and she portrayed Becca as a strong character that the viewers believed would guide the Bellas to success.

I wouldn’t go as far as saying the movie deserves an Oscar but it was definitely fun and the musical offerings, according to the Bellas, were ‘aca-mazing’! If you’re a ‘Gleek’ you will love this college version of the show.

Showing in Cineco, Seef II, Saar Cineplex