Pitch Perfect 3 is a harmless, though bad, sequel to the fabulously successful singing franchise about college singing nerds. This one doesn’t include the TrebleMakers, which doesn’t make it better.
Pitch Perfect 3 (Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins, Hailee Steinfeld) – 3 is not the charm. The out-of-nowhere Pitch Perfect franchise made its name by presenting a gaggle of acca-nerds who sang perfectly but otherwise were losers. The Bellas won the national championship and eventually the a cappella worlds but then had nowhere to go. But when Pitch Perfect II, directed by producer/actor Elizabeth Banks, brought in $287 million in worldwide box office, the Handelmans (Max and the aforementioned Elizabeth) couldn’t help but produce another one.
So how do you lure Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick, worldwide music sensation and Oscar nominee Hailee Steinfeld, and the rest of the Bellas to commit to another sequel? You promise them Spain, Italy and a slew of money.
Pitch Perfect 3 suffers the fate of almost every third sequel. It pretty well sucks … it’s acca-awful! But the music is really good again though it lacks a certain spontaneity. The competition this time comes from a bunch of professional rock groups that join the reunited Bellas on a USO Tour hosted by the real-life record producer/radio personality DJ Khaled. The eclectic assemblage of talent performs for the troops overseas while each tries to impress Khaled enough to be selected to open his upcoming worldwide tour. That’s the plot, stupid as it is.
There is a ludicrous subplot about Fat Amy’s (Rebel Wilson) larcenous father (John Lithgow in a wasted opportunity) trying to reconnect with his daughter. Then there is the even dumber subplot about Aubrey’s (Anna Camp) relationship with her military dad, who gets them the USO gig but doesn’t have the time to see her perform.
But the plot is not what any of the Pitch Perfect movies features. It is all about the music – the a cappella mash-ups. In 3, the music is just fine. It’s a little more contemporary, hip-hop and new age, which makes it less appealing to more mature audiences (like me). In fact, as one of three men in the audience, this film is clearly aimed at young females and the mothers who accompany them on holiday weekends.
Anna Kendrick and Hailey Steinfeld are genuine talents. I would love to see them in concert but they seem way above this piece of dreck. The film is harmless enough with just enough sexual innuendo to tease the teens, provide a guilty pleasure, and make a few of the moms in the audience a touch squeamish.
This is one of those movies that is worth paying a matinee price to be with your daughter. Otherwise, wait for the video.