Pitch Perfect 3 Blu-ray Review

By: Lynn Barker

In Pitch Perfect 3, Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) is leader of the new Bellas at school. The older girls have graduated and 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?

The Bellas are a hit with the troopsCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Things to Come

In this flash-forward intro, the Bellas are singing on a luxury yacht 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?

Bellas final performance led by BecaCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

After College

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 hates Beca’s mix of his song. He is obnoxious so she tells him off and decides to quit. Chloe reminds 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 this was an invitation to watch the younger Bellas perform. Bummed, the older Bellas feel like ancient has-beens.

Gail and John continue commentingCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Overseas?

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 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.

Evermoist band challenges the BellasCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Secret Competition

Theo (Guy Burnet), a music producer, 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 of a record deal at tour’s end. The group performs for the troops and are a hit. Emily convinces the Bellas to crash DJ’s party. 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 joins the productionCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Dad Wants a Fortune

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 the contest. 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!

Fat Amy comforts Beca who has just quit her jobCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Outcome?  

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?

Will Beca seek a solo singing career?Courtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Special Extra Features

This Blu-ray set is packed with fourteen extra features!

• New Musical Performances – This includes a great song and dance with Fat Amy and her dad!  Hilarious and well worth a watch. A lullaby by the Bellas for Stacey’s new baby is short and sweet.
• Extended Musical Performances- three songs by Evermoist, Young Sparrow/DJ Dragon and Saddle Up are each very different and fun.
• Deleted Scene – Aubrey is at Fat Amy’s door. Amy won’t open it. Short and silly
• Gag Reel – is cute and fun with the actresses mostly cracking up on camera too much.
• Competition Crescendo- the riff-off scene between Bellas and the three bands is taken apart by the actresses and filmmakers. The bands are examined in detail. Nice musical addition.
• A Capella Action examines the scene in which Fergus kidnaps the Bellas, they sing “Toxic” on his yacht and Fat Amy does an action rescue…very funny.
• The Women of Pitch Perfect 3 – a tribute to the all female cast and crew. This is a movie truly driven by women! A girl power extra.
• Don’t Mess with Rebel details the actress’s stunt training and her conversion into an action hero. Rebel is really into it… except jumping from heights, which terrifies her. Very entertaining!
• The Headliner: DJ Khaled – the DJ’s performance and participation in the film is examined. Actors and filmmakers comment.

The Bellas show up at DJ Khaled's partyCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

• The Final Note: John and Gail – the wacky commentators who have followed the Bellas from the beginning are featured with comments from Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins who play them. Funny!
• Just Because He’s a Bad Guy… profiles actor John Lithgow joining the production as Fat Amy’s dad. He and Rebel really bonded. He dances and sings more than he usually does and everybody loves him. Fun!
• The Final Performance features the last song the Bellas sing. Turns out it was filmed last and the entire cast was sad and crying when it, and their stint as movie Bellas, was over. Sad and touching for fans too.
• Music Video: “Freedom” ’90 x Cups’ showcases most of the Bella cast singing this iconic song. Really well done and entertaining.
• Hollywood of the South just profiles the city of Atlanta and shooting there…more of a travelogue for the city. Not really needed.
• Audio Commentary: Director Trish Sie has the film’s director covering tone, tech stuff, behind the scenes tidbits, plot, locations, music selection and more. Really nice to watch after you’ve seen the movie once through.
• Audio Commentary: Producers Paul Brooks and Max Handelman is okay but basic and not as spunky and entertaining as that of the director.

Director Trish Sie sets up a shotCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Wrapping Up

Pitch Perfect 3 is quite formula but gives you the characters you love if you watch this series of films and it’s a nice wrap-up focusing a bit more on Hailee Steinfeld who has taken her own rocker show on the road since the movie. The girls still support each other and you learn what they might be doing in future. You kind of need to be a fan to enjoy this movie it doesn’t really stand alone well.

Bella Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) continues to write songsCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

This Blu-ray package is really fun and full of entertaining extras that cover everything. We gave the film in theaters 3 stars but, because of the wide variety of engaging extras, we can go four stars on this home entertainment offering.

Pitch Perfect 3 Blu-ray Rating: 

Pitch Perfect 3 Blu-rayCourtesy of Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Pitch Perfect 3 is now available on Blu-ray & DVD!

Have Your Say

Are you a fan of this fun film series? Sad to see it end. Have you collected all of the movies? Do you enjoy a capella singing? Aca-Comment below!