A well-groomed, funny and altogether special musical comedy starring Anna Kendrick and set against the backdrop of collegiate competitive a cappella singing, Pitch Perfect hits an abundance of right notes, resulting in one of the most full-bodied mainstream comedies of the year. Suffused with a joie de vivre, this enjoyable adaptation of Mickey Rapkin’s 2008 nonfiction book of the same name augurs good things not only for freshman feature director Jason Moore but also its various young cast members.

Feeling justifiably bullish about its word-of-mouth prospects, Universal is opening Pitch Perfect in select theaters this Friday, September 28, before rolling it out wider the following weekend. The film’s focus on singing rings bells of comparison to the High School Musical franchise and small screen hit Glee, but its adolescent artistic focus more broadly recalls movies like Bring It On, Drumline, Step Up and Fired Up! — sub-cultural celebrations that found (or should have) warm embrace by mostly younger audiences. Positive peer review and critical notices alike should help drive solid eight-figure box office business and significant ancillary value; the movie’s soundtrack should be a big player for Universal as well. For the full, original review, from Screen International, click here. (Universal, PG-13, 112 minutes)