‘Pitch Perfect 2’: An Obvious Rip-Off Of This 1994 Sequel
The second full-length trailer for Pitch Perfect 2, the highly-anticipated follow-up to the 2012 film, Pitch Perfect, was released by Universal Pictures on Tuesday. Shortly after its release, the two-minute clip did not take very long to go viral.
As of Thursday morning, the Pitch Perfect 2 trailer has been viewed on YouTube more than 3.4 million times.
The trailer starts off with the Barden Bellas performing for the President of the United States on his birthday. While performing their version of the Miley Cyrus hit song, “Wrecking Ball,” something goes wrong. The ribbon holding “Fat Amy” (played by actress Rebel Wilson) in the air seems to malfunction, or basically buckle under the pressure.
That malfunction led to an apparent wardrobe malfunction, which seemed to lead to their team being suspended and replaced by a European team.
However, the opportunity for redemption comes around when Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick) speaks up with an improbable offer that seemed too good to refuse.
“If we win the world championships, will you reinstate us?”
That line basically set the stage for the rest of the trailer (and, apparently, the film). The Barden Bellas are now fighting for a world championship — a competition that no American group has ever won before in the past.
An underdog team of past champions is somehow representing the country against an unstoppable, dominating European team that has them outgunned, outnumbered, and (since it’s a singing competition) “outsung” in every way. However, chances are that “Team USA” will still come off on top by the end of Pitch Perfect 2.
Does that general plot sound familiar? If it does, it’s because it’s basically the same plot that was used for the 1994 sequel, D2: The Mighty Ducks.
Happy 20th Anniversary to The Mighty Ducks D2 Still one of my all Time favorite movie series ? <3 Ducks Fly Together pic.twitter.com/bD75ifTD85
— MyHeroIsPaulWalker (@Catie_bear_1) September 23, 2014
Charlie and the Ducks (a championship team) are thrown into a competition along with several new teammates against Iceland. Don’t forget that they, too, are represented as “Team USA.”
Going up against Iceland, the Ducks (or Team USA) are outgunned, outnumbered, and (since it’s a hockey competition) “outpucked.” However, after an inspiring speech from their coach and brand new Ducks jerseys to replace their “Team USA” jerseys, the team ends up with the victory.
If you do not see the nearly-identical similarities between Pitch Perfect 2 and D2: The Mighty Ducks, perhaps you should watch the nearly 21-year-old sports comedy again.
It did not take very long for people on Twitter to compare the two movies together — primarily because of the whole concept of Team USA going up against a foreign team that is much better than them.
So Brian and I both watched the trailer for Pitch Perfect 2 & simultaneously announced it was pretty much a remake of The Mighty Ducks: D2.
— Jen Petro-Roy (@jpetroroy) February 12, 2015
The plot for Pitch Perfect 2 is the same as The Mighty Ducks 2. Regional champs must become World Champ by beating scary Europeans.
— The Future (@cpeiffler) February 11, 2015
LLWS news = Adam Banks w/ the Mighty Ducks and the illegal use of a HS singer in Pitch Perfect sending the Barden Bellas to the finals!
— Evan Cohen (@EvCoRadio) February 11, 2015
The new Pitch Perfect movie looks like the 2nd Mighty Ducks movie, but with singing instead of Knuckle-Pucks. http://t.co/uUtFY5TU9T
— Woody Wood (@RadioWoody) February 11, 2015
Pitch Perfect 2 will not come out in theaters until May. However, if the Barden Bellas win the competition and end the movie with their own a capella version of Queen’s “We Are the Champions,” that would pretty much seal the deal.
What do you think? Is Pitch Perfect 2 a rip-off of the Mighty Ducks sequel?
[Image Credit: Movies.io & Yahoo! Screen]