Damon Smith enjoys a reunion with choral stars and spends a night out with princesses

Lightning almost strikes twice in the eagerly anticipated sequel to the feel-great comedy Pitch Perfect, as actress Elizabeth Banks nestles into the director’s chair for an uproarious second outing and confidently conducts the choir through soaring musical mash-ups and pitch-slapping putdowns.

Screenwriter Kay Cannon, who penned the original, enforces the message of femme power by contriving a spectacular fall from grace for the Barden Bellas, in order that her plucky heroines rediscover sisterly solidarity.

Beyonce’s anthemic Run The World (Girls) is a fitting opener for one medley of redemption, emphasising that while these girls wanna have fun, they won’t do so at the expense of friendships or their careers.

Cannon pads out her flimsy premise with parallel romantic subplots and introduces a Latin American exchange student, whose life-or-death heritage becomes a running joke that limps before the two hours are up.

Thankfully, Rebel Wilson turbo-charges her scenes and is rewarded with the film’s only solo – Pat Benatar’s power ballad, We Belong – that builds to a call to arms for the broken-hearted.

Three years after the Barden Bellas triumphed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, the girls perform for President Obama.

But Fat Amy (Wilson) suffers a wardrobe malfunction during a Miley Cyrus-themed aerial routine and drags the good name of Barden University into the gutter.

Commentators John Smith (John Michael Higgins) and Gail Abernathy-McKadden (Elizabeth Banks) cast the Bellas into the wilderness and mock Beca (Anna Kendrick) when she claims they can become the first American group to win the World A Cappella Championships.

Beca, Fat Amy, Chloe (Brittany Snow), Stacie (Alexis Knapp), Jessica (Kelley Jakle), Cynthia-Rose (Ester Dean), softly spoken beatboxer Lilly (Hana Mae Lee) and new recruits Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and Flo (Chrissie Fit) prepare for musical battle. However, the path to glory is blocked by reigning champions Das Sound Machine.

The Bellas’ make-or-break performance beckons and Beca frets about her song choices.

“You’re the most talented person I know,” gushes Amy soothingly, “and I’ve met three of The Wiggles... intimately.”

Pitch Perfect 2 hits many of the high notes of the original. Beca’s romance with Jesse is inert here, so the spotlight shifts to Amy’s flirtation with Bumper.

Musical sequences are choreographed with verve, including a rousing finale that tugs the heartstrings.

Showing at Odeon George Street, and at the Cineworlds in Didcot and Witney.

Pitch Perfect 2 (12A)   
Directed by Elizabeth Banks  
Starring Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Birgitte Hjort Sorensen, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks