‘Pitch Perfect 3’ Review

pitch_perfect_three_ver3Pitch Perfect 3 is a semi-musical comedy film directed by Trish Sie and the third and final film in the Pitch Perfect franchise… for now. The film stars Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Hailee Steinfeld, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Chrissie Fit, Alexis Knapp, John Lithgow, Ruby Rose, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. The plot follows the Bellas, now graduated from college, reuniting for one final performance in an overseas USO tour. The Bellas are once again fun to watch and have great chemistry with each other. Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson get the most screentime with the story focusing mainly on Beca and Fat Amy’s individual situations. Watching their friendship grow throughout this trilogy has been one of the most intriguing aspects of the films. Brittany Snow and Anna Camp have more screen time together as Chloe and Aubrey than they did in Pitch Perfect 2, but their stories are tertiary to Kendrick and Wilson’s. Considering that these characters should have been phased out after the first Pitch Perfect, it’s nice to see how the writers continue to use them. Newcomer Hailee Steinfeld returns as Emily Junk but is also pushed to the background after being one of the main stars of the previous film. Emily even has some funny clashes with Fat Amy that mostly land. Once again, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins are amazing as Gail Abernathy-McKadden-Feinberger and John Smith respectively. The witty banter between them, as well as their constant commentary on the Bellas, is hilarious. The main story is somewhat believable even though the subplot with Fat Amy gets into the fantastical territory. Once again, the a cappella style singing in this film is truly blissful to listen to. While no longer the main aspect of the plot, the film still manages to make it relevant. What is special about this film is that it finally closes out Beca’s story and makes the trilogy about her following her dreams. The rest of the Bellas are an afterthought and are just there to support Beca’s story. It was great to see all of the characters moving on with their lives in a realistic way. Not everybody has the dream job they wanted or is in the long-lasting relationship that most films tend to push for. Focusing more on the life after college aspect would have been a better choice for the plot as the USO tour is treated more like a montage — songs included. I give Pitch Perfect 3 a Normal 6.9/10. With a more grounded story, this film could have been great. But who are we kidding, there will surely be a distant sequel sometime in the future.

One comment

  1. Great review; spot on. Agree with the rating. Nothing will top the original. Fun comedy for music lovers. We went and saw it two nights ago.

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