Pitch Perfect 2 appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a quality presentation.
Sharpness was fine. A handful of wider shots could be a little tentative, but those remained in the minority, as most of the flick appeared concise and accurate. Jagged edges and shimmering didn’t occur, and edge enhancement remained absent. Source flaws also failed to present any problems, as the movie offered a clean image.
In terms of colors, the film favored a mild golden tint or a blue feel. These were light overtones, so the hues were solid within the design parameters. Blacks seemed deep and tight, while shadows were good. I thought this was a consistently high-quality presentation.
As for the film’s DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack, it seemed satisfactory. It favored the usual “comedy mix” and didn’t present many chances for the soundscape to explode. As expected, musical performances added the most to the track, as they used the five channels in a satisfying manner. Parties also provided some modest engagement. Overall, though, this was a pretty restrained soundfield.
I thought audio quality appeared positive. Speech seemed distinctive and natural, with no rough tones or other issues. Score and songs displayed clear, warm music, and effects functioned well. Those elements were reasonably realistic and full throughout the movie. Again, nothing here dazzled, but the mix accentuated the action in a good way.
As we move to the extras, we open with an audio commentary from actor/director/producer Elizabeth Banks and producers Paul Brooks and Max Handelman. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/character areas, cast and performances, musical numbers, deleted scenes, sets and locations, and related topics.
Expect a competent commentary here but nothing more. At best, the participants offer a likable chat that delivers a decent level of information about the film. However, the track lapses into a fair amount of praise and doesn’t really become absorbing. It’s worth a listen but not especially memorable.
A bunch of musical elements show up as well. We find a bonus song performed by the Treblemakers (3:27) along with three extended musical performances (4:05), Das Sound Machine finale breakdown (2:06) and Green Bay Rap (0:52). With the “bonus song”, we find some notes from vocal producer Deke Sharon and actors Skylar Astin and Ben Platt before we see the scene itself.
The “extended performances” focus just on the clips themselves, and “Green Bay” gives us a more impromptu bit that mixes members of Das Sound Machine as well. Finally, “Breakdown” lets us see the DSM finale via four different audio options: “All Vocals”, “Background Vocals Only”, “Beat Box Only” and “Lead Vocals Only”. Fans will enjoy all of these, but the “DSM Breakdown” is the most interesting since it allows us to hear isolated vocal elements.
Nine deleted/extended/alternate scenes fill a total of 12 minutes, 14 seconds. These tend to be insubstantial moments that don’t add more than a few gags. Some supporting characters get a little more screen time, but none of the scenes seem memorable.
A Gag Reel lasts three minutes, eight seconds. This provides standard goofing around and silliness. It’s forgettable.
More alternate material shows up in the three-minute, 36-second Line-Aca-Rama. This gives us different lines for a bunch of scenes. Some amusing material results.
Nine featurettes follow. We get “Elizabeth Banks’ Directorial Debut” (5:20), “The Bellas Are Back” (6:13), “Aca Camp” (5:04), “The Making of the Riff-Off” (6:02), “The World Championships of A Cappella” (9:30), “Snoop Is In the House” (2:53), “Residual Heat Internship” (2:26), “An Aca-Love Story: Bumper and Fat Amy” (5:26) and “Legacy: Hailee Steinfeld” (6:04).
Across these, we find notes from Banks, Platt, Astin, Handelman, Sharon, choreographer Aakomon “AJ” Jones, production designer Toby Corbett, costume designer Salvador Perez, first assistant choreographer Kyndra Reevey, and actors Brittany Snow, Kelley Jakle, Rebel Wilson, Flula Borg, Hailee Steinfeld, Shelley Regner, Chrissie Fit, Anna Kendrick, Ester Dean, Hana Mae Lee, Alexis Knapp, Anna Camp, Clay Matthews, Andrew Fitzpatrick, Kether Donohue, Keegan-Michael Key, Snoop Dogg, and Adam Devine. We learn about Banks’ work on the set, cast and performances, music, costumes and choreography, and story/character areas.
A fluffy movie provides fluffy featurettes. I like the ample amounts of behind the scenes footage on display, but we don’t really learn a lot about the production. While we find a smattering of good notes, much of the time, matters remain superficial.
The disc opens with ads for the Back to the Future trilogy, Furious 7, When Marnie Was There, Barbie in Rock ‘n Royals, Blindspot Dope and RL Stine’s Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls. No trailer for Perfect 2 appears here.
A second disc presents a DVD copy of Perfect 2. It includes the commentary as well as the extended musical performances, the deleted scenes, the gag reel, and the “Bellas Are Back” featurette.
After the first film charmed me, I hoped Pitch Perfect 2 would offer a similarly engaging comedy. Instead, I found a messy, overbaked mish-mash of random gags barely held together by the thinnest of plots. The Blu-ray provides good picture and audio along with an extensive – though erratic – set of supplements. Maybe Pitch Perfect 3 will offer a rebound, but Perfect 2 brings us a grating disappointment.
