Girl Group review: Rebel Wilsons new pop band comedy is a total disaster

Rebel Wilson’s avert-your-eyes new comedy “Girl Group,” which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, gives you new appreciation for the artistry that went into “Pitch Perfect.”Running time: 103 minutes.Not yet rated.It’s almost rude to compare the two — “Pitch Perfect” is a clever and lively romp while “Girl Group”’s a real stinker.But given their mutual presence of Wilson, who also writes and directs this mangled mess, and the recycled story of young female underdogs trying to win a singing contest, a face-off is unavoidable.Or perhaps my mind wandered so much to “Pitch Perfect” while watching the new movie purely as a coping mechanism for the cinematic trauma I was enduring.

Who’s to say?The chief difference is that this time Wilson gets promoted from wacky sidekick Fat Amy to the main event, except her schtick stays exactly the same.You can probably hear the Aussie’s dry and detached but blunt deliveries in your head as you read a subpar joke such as, “When I saw you, I thought: ‘a bunch of reject Pokemon.’”Wilson’s recognizable style is funny when used to break up a dramatic confrontation or lighten up an emotional moment, as in “Bridesmaids.” However, the actress is deathly allergic to vulnerability.

There is not one honest second in “Girl Group.” So what we get instead is a mashup of cheap gags, empty empowerment and songs you pray will end.Wilson plays Tassie, the former member of a UK Spice Girls-ish pop group called, ugh, Gurlfriends.They met in school in 1997, got discovered and skyrocketed to superstardom with the single “Summer Snog.” It gets worse and worse.There are a handful of original tunes sprinkled in here alongside hits like Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” and Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go,” none of which are top-drawer.

Believable new music is what makes comedies like “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Best in Show” and even “Josie and the Pussycats” wor...