STARS 3/5
“Pitch Perfect 3″ was a highly anticipated release for the end of 2017 because the third installment should only exceed the audiences’ expectations of what we all know and love about a capella music. However, it seems as though the only thing surpassing the first and second movies are the venues and songs because there is little character growth and mediocre jokes at best.
Before “Pitch Perfect,” a capella groups were not all the rage and people weren’t looking to join them. This movie franchise helped bring a capella back to life. It actually seemed cool to sing cover songs with a group of people you know and love. From the very beginning, “Pitch Perfect” makes nerdy singing a hot commodity, so props to them.
In the beginning of “Pitch Perfect 3,” the women have graduated college and work their own perspective careers, but of course find some way of reuniting with the beloved Barden Bellas. Director Trish Sie sets these scenes up nicely. It relates with the average college graduate – most of the girls have jobs they hate and they just want a break from reality.
Anna Kendrick, who plays the protagonist Becca, comes back into the a capella world to steal the spotlight in the third installment. She is again stuck between choosing her career over the group. DJ Khaled, who stars as himself, recognizes Becca’s mad beat skills and wants her to tour with him, but she struggles with this decision because she wants the Bellas there with her. I commend the director for giving the character this mindset, but we’ve seen this before.
The film does try to include more plots by bringing up Rebel Wilson’s character Fat Amy’s past and showing Aubrey’s distant relationship with her dad, but if this movie revolves around the world of a capella, let’s keep it that way. The movie should have centered the main plot around the group as a whole. Such as possibly showing more scenes of the Bellas practicing the songs and moments where all the characters relate to each other more than they thought.
The other issue is the Bellas enter this competition competing against people who play actual instruments. This is a challenge we all knew was coming eventually. The Bellas handle it pretty well too. The Riff Off scene between the Bellas and the bands was a little distasteful. This is the third movie and we all know third times a charm, but this seems not to be the case.
Fat Amy has this sarcastic hate for Hailee Steinfeld’s character Emily. I have no clue where this originated from or why she feels that way throughout the entire film, but it’s awkwardly funny and I like it. I also don’t know if giving Fat Amy a dark past with a drug dealer father was the greatest story line, but the scenes where she rescues the girls is pretty bad-ass. It’s like martial arts meets girl power, and you get Fat Amy on steroids.
Like every musical movie we get a cheesy ending number that warms our hearts and may leave you in tears. But honestly, the “Pitch Perfect 2” ending was way better. I think the director knew this, which is why they chose to use bloopers as the end credits were rolling. Not completely satisfied with this, but it’s the last call and the curtains are finally closed.