Pitch Perfect 3 Movie Review

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on Dec 21, 2017

Rating:

Kidzworld saw Pitch Perfect 3. The Bellas are almost all out of college. Can the group reunite to keep making music with their mouths? Will the adventure further bond them? Check our movie review.

By: Lynn Barker

In Pitch Perfect 3, all of the Bellas a capella group are out of college except younger Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) who is leader of the new Bellas at school. The girls all have various unimpressive jobs, except Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) who is evidently living off roomie Beca’s (Anna Kendrick) salary as a music producer. Chloe (Brittany Snow) wants to get into vet school. The girls all miss singing and when Aubrey (Anna Camp) suggests they go on a USO tour they are in! Will this further bond the Bellas or will they finally break up for good?

Amy consoles Beca on quitting her job

Flash Forward

On a luxury yacht, the Bellas are singing when Fat Amy bursts through the ceiling with a fire extinguisher and sprays mystery men in the room. The girls jump overboard as the yacht blows up. Huh?

The Bellas arrive in Spain

In the Real World

Wacky a cappella commentators John Smith (John Michael Higgins) and Gail Feinberger (Elizabeth Banks), are making a documentary on the Bellas and follow Beca to her job as a music producer. The artist she’s producing is an idiot who hates Beca’s mix of his song. He is obnoxious so she tells him off and decides to quit. At home she tells roomie Fat Amy but Chloe comes in reminding the girls that there is a Bella reunion. The group reunites with other Bellas Aubrey, Cynthia-Rose (Ester Dean) and Lilly (Hanna Mae Lee) etc. At the event they are told by younger Bella Emily that they were only invited to watch their performance. She’s sorry for the misunderstanding. Bummed, the older Bellas feel like ancient has-beens.

John and Gail are doing a wacky documentary

A Tour?

While they are drowning sorrows at a bar, Aubrey tells the girls that she could get the group an invite to perform for the American Troops and their families in Europe for the USO. Everyone but Stacey (Alexis Knapp) who turns out is eight months pregnant, agrees to go and Emily takes her place. In Spain Chloe is attracted to the tour’s cute Army guide Chicago (Matt Lanter) and in a hangar they meet the bands on the tour, snooty girls Evermoist who all play instruments, and some guy bands. All ridicule the Bellas for singing other people’s songs and the bands cheat in a riff-off by playing instruments.

The Bellas are a big hit with the troops

TV Show?

Music producer Theo (Guy Burnet) tells Beca that the groups are actually competing for a spot opening on a TV Show for popular rapper/performer DJ Khaled (himself). He will announce the winner at tour’s end and the winner will be signed to a record deal. The group performs for the troops and are a hit with them. Emily convinces the Bellas to crash DJ’s party and make nice with him. Meanwhile, Fat Amy’s estranged, criminal dad (John Lithgow) shows up after years and makes nice. She isn’t buying it. At the party Beca impresses Theo with her ability to mix music but Aubrey accidentally sets fire to the place and the Bellas are again humiliated.

DJ Khaled

Fat Dingo Bitch

Followed still by John and Elizabeth shooting their lame documentary, the Bellas perform in several cities. They learn that Stacey has had her baby girl and named her Bella. Dad wants Fat Amy (he calls her Patricia) to sail away with him on his yacht the “Fat Dingo Bitch” named after Fat Amy’s mom! DJ hears Beca’s party mix and decides she and she alone has won.. He wants to sign her and she’ll open for him. How will she tell the rest of the girls? Fat Amy learns that dad is lying about wanting to spend time with her. He knows there is 180 million in her name in a Cayman Islands bank and he wants it!

The girls glam up for DJ's party

Separate Ways?

Will Beca do the final TV show without the Bellas or refuse? Will Fat Amy kick her dad out of her life and be a millionairess? Will Chloe and her cute soldier be a couple? Will Beca hook up with Theo? Will the Bellas move on with their separate lives?

Beca leads the Bellas in their last song

Wrapping Up

Pitch Perfect 3 has the same humor you are used to if you are a fan of the films but the story appears uneven and forced and the adventure with Fat Amy and her criminal dad seems to be cut from a James Bond movie although it’s fun to see Rebel kick serious butt! A decent job of wrapping or ramping up all the girls’ personal lives is achieved and the songs are modern and upbeat fun. Since joining the Pitch Perfect cast, Hailee Steinfeld has built her own stage rocker career and will tour this summer.

Bellas arrive at event thinking they will sing

Although the film still has some silly charm and promotes friendship and support, especially if you don’t get it from your actual family, it’s evident that it’s time for the franchise to end and the last song “Freedom” is a tearful goodbye (the actors tell me they really were crying). Be sure to stick around for the credits for some scenes from all the films and a few fun wrap up tidbits. Fans should enjoy the film but, as a stand-alone, it’s a bit messy. We go three stars.