FRED Watch Quickie Film Review: Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)
PERFECT PITCH?
I’m a Kendall Richardson and welcome to FRED Watch, where we review everything from the mainstream to the obscure. Today’s film is Pitch Perfect 3…
Universal Pictures.
Three years after winning the World Finals championship in Copenhagen, a cappella singing group the Bellas have graduated college and gone their separate ways.
Now in unfulfilling jobs and desperate to see each other again to sing once more, Beca (Anna Kendrick), Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), Chloe (Brittany Snow), Aubrey (Anna Camp), Lilly (Hanna Mae Lee), Cynthia (Ester Dean), Florencia (Chrissie Fit), Jessica (Kelley Jakle), Ashley (Shelley Regner), and Stacie (Alexis Knapp) reunite to compete once more…
It’s the final curtain call for the aca-amazing Bellas! I’m happy to report that Pitch Perfect 3 escapes the pitfalls that can befall any third installment in a franchise: the magic that crafted the success of the first film tends to wane, the jokes made are almost always the same causing the shtick to get old fast, and the storylines can head into shark-jumping territory. This film escapes them by the skin of its teeth, but escapes them nonetheless.
This time around the Bellas reunite to perform at USO shows across Europe, and find themselves competing with the other acts for a chance to open for DJ Khaled. Anna Kendrick is a joy to watch as always as the talented music producer Beca Mitchell, reaffirming effortlessly to her audience why she is the lead of this wonderful ensemble cast. Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy is back and still hilarious! Whilst her comedy isn’t as memorable this time around, she does well with what she’s given, leaving the viewer in stitches. Also enjoyable are Brittany Snow’s Chloe and Anna Camp’s Aubrey; the former getting herself a love interest, and the latter showing us how much she’s grown since the first film as we learn about her military father.
Speaking of fathers, John Lithgow shows up as a different than Daddy’s Home 2 Dad, giving the Aussie accent a half-decent crack as Fat Amy’s criminal and estranged papa. That’s where the shark-jumping pitfall is approached, but thankfully the slightly outlandish storyline works due to Wilson going full Black Widow on her dad’s goons and the Bellas scintillating take on Toxic (It’s Britney, Pitch!). The only disappointing thing for me was the lack of screen time given to the other USO acts. One of the best parts about the previous two movies has been the rivalry between the Bellas and their enemy teams, and unfortunately they only seem to touch on it briefly throughout the film. Although the riff-off scene when they first meet is very entertaining.
Without spoiling too much about the ending, I will say that it is a perfect (pun intended) and emotional conclusion to the trilogy, as it really highlights the bond shared between the Bellas, whilst simultaneously launching Beca into the career she truly deserves. 3½ / 5
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hailee Steinfeld, Hana Mae Lee, Ester Dean, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Shelley Regner, Alexis Knapp, John Michael Higgins, Elizabeth Banks, John Lithgow, Matt Lanter, Guy Burnett, DJ Khaled, Ruby Rose, Andy Allo, Venzella Joy Williams, Hannah Fairlight, Whiskey Shivers, Trinidad James, D.J. Looney, Troy Ian Hall, Jessica Chaffin, Moises Arias, Michael Rose.
Director: Trish Sie | Producers: Elizabeth Banks, Paul Brooks, Max Handelman | Writers: Kay Cannon, Mike White (Story by Kay Cannon) | Music: Christopher Lennertz | Cinematographer: Matthew Clark Labiano | Editors: Craig Alpert, Colin Patton
Showing in cinemas nation-wide.
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