“Pitch Perfect,” starring Anna Kendrick and directed by Jason Moore, is a movie you’ll have to love in spite of yourself.  Although I walked out of the theater feeling like I’d lost IQ points, the movie was hilarious and tons of fun to watch.

The film follows Beca (Kendrick), a girl forced to go to college instead of following her musical dreams in Los Angeles.  She is also required to join at least one extracurricular activity.  She joins the Barden Bellas, the college’s all female a cappella group.  The new leader of the group, Aubrey (Anna Camp), is portrayed as a dictator as she tries to recover emotionally from the horrifying loss at Nationals the previous year.  This loss was the direct consequence of her vomiting gallons upon gallons onto the audience during her solo.

“The Bellas” are in direct competition with “The Treblemakers,” the all male a cappella group on campus.  Of course, this is where Beca finds her love interest, Jesse (Skylar Astin).  In a faux Romeo and Juliet romance in which Juliet is not interested at all, the audience is forced to watch Beca reject seemingly perfect Jesse over and over again.

The real star is “Fat” Amy (Rebel Wilson), who is funnier and more likable than the rest of the characters combined.  She’s also a new recruit of the Bellas and steals the show.  Each time she comes on screen, you can expect to laugh until tears come to your eyes.  Her one-liners are the most quotable parts of the movie and she’s a definite highlight.

The music is one of the strongest points in the film.  A cappella becomes awesome with performances of “Right Round” by Flo Rida, “Party in the U.S.A” by Miley Cyrus, and a mash-up of everything from “Like a Virgin” to “No Diggity.”  The music gets inside your head and stuck on repeat.  With incredibly slick dance moves and killer harmonies during every competition, “The Treblemakers” and “The Bellas” seem like the coolest clubs on campus.

The plot was predictable and contrived, but the brilliant, if immature, humor made it worthwhile.  You won’t really care about the main character’s struggles or her budding romance, but you’ll laugh hysterically at the outrageous antics of these a cappella groups.  Check out Regal in Bel Air and Flagship in Churchville for times and blow a couple bucks on this hilarious film.

Martha Schick is the Multimedia Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.