Perfect is back (sort of), with Pitch Perfect: Bumpers in Berlin. And if you thought Adam DeVine’s Bumper Allen was the best part of the a cappella-infused musical comedy franchise, then you might enjoy Peacock’s spin-off series focusing on the goofy musician. The rest of us, unfortunately, are going to have a grating and (mostly) unpleasant viewing experience.
The Barton Bellas are Perfect. They are the heart, soul and voice of the franchise. Shifting the Bellas’ focus to the minor Bumper character, who acted as a vocal rival in the first Perfect and the love interest of ‘Fat Amy’ (Rebel Wilson) in Perfect location 2is a bold choice that will have most fans screaming “Aca-Scuce me?!”
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Pitch Perfect: Bumpers in Berlin finds Bumper Allen still pursuing his dream of being a professional musician; however, this dream doesn’t quite go as planned. So when a video showcasing Bumper’s musical talents goes viral in Germany, Bumper travels to Berlin to chase his fifteen minutes of fame. His manager is Pieter Krämer (Flula Borg). Pieter was the leader of Das Sound Machine, a German a cappella troupe that threatened to defeat the Bellas in the franchise’s second installment.
Among the greatest obstacles encountered by Pitch Perfect: Bumpers in Berlin is Adam Devine’s inability to carry the franchise on his own. DeVine is a fine comedian, but his acting is often one-note, stuck in the cyclical rut of playing the same character in every role he plays. This character works often, as he did in his breakout series Workaholic; but it fails to fill the void left by the absence of Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow and Rebel Wilson. Add to that DeVine’s limited vocal abilities (one rendition of Aqua’s pop hit “Barbie Girl” was particularly hard to stomach), and you’ve got a recipe for a disappointing spin-off, running on the steams of its predecessor’s hits. .
A bright spot in this mostly tarnished production is Sarah Hyland (The year of marriage). As Heidi, she brings a vibe and exuberance that the series largely lacks. While she can’t replace the Bellas, she does provide the charm and vocal talent needed in a Perfect property. Surprisingly, she could be the only actor with a voice worthy of Perfect Title.
Pitch Perfect: Bumpers in Berlin sadly continues the franchise’s quality downward spiral, going from a genuinely hilarious story about finding yourself to an attempt to spit out slapstick of cheap laughs. Some of those laughs do land, and found myself moderately amused in a kind of “turn off your brain and let it play in the background”. However; I was hoping Perfectand this land was far away.
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