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Pitch Perfect 3 movie review & film summary (2017)
Reviews
Christy Lemire
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Aca-nough already.
“Pitch Perfect 3” supposedly is the final film in the wildly successful series about the musical misadventures of the Barden Bellas. Lots of overlong, tearful group hugs after the final a cappella song make that clear.
But we really didn’t need a second “Pitch Perfect” movie, much less a third one. The first was a burst of energy and a breath of fresh air in 2012. Snarky but sweet with a diverse and likable cast, it gave us a vivid look inside a specific niche of the college experience. It joyfully made fun of its geeky milieu and it made a lot of money. It’s also the reason you hear that insanely catchy Anna Kendrick “Cups” song everywhere from the pet food store to the dentist’s office.
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Hence, in 2015, we got “Pitch Perfect 2,” which was pretty much note for note and beat for beat the same movie as the original “Pitch Perfect,” despite the endlessly talented Elizabeth Banks making her feature directing debut. It made even more money.
So now we have “Pitch Perfect 3.” The best thing I can say about it is that it’s not another retread of its predecessor. Instead, Kay Cannon (who’s written the screenplays for all three movies) has blown things up entirely. She maintains the overly produced pop tunes as a through line, of course—it’s the only real source of cohesion, and it’s the reason you’re here. But it’s as if she and director Trish Sie (“Step Up All In”) decided to just go nuts in this final outing, turning it into a globetrotting, James Bond-style action picture. That doesn’t necessarily make it an improvement, but it’s at least an ambitious departure.
“Pitch Perfect 3” begins with the Bellas doing their signature dance-and-harmony bit aboard a mega-yacht to Britney Spears’ “Toxic” (which I’ll surely purge from my brain any day now). Kendrick’s Beca leads the group out onto the deck, Rebel Wilson’s Fat Amy bursts in with a fire extinguisher and the ladies all leap into the water just in time as the boat explodes behind them.
OK. This is different.
Then the movie flashes back three weeks to catch us up to that point. All of the Bellas are out of college now—except Hailee Steinfeld’s barely-there Emily—and struggling to find their voice (see what I did there?) in the real world. Beca has just quit her job as a music producer. Her roomie, Amy, never really has a job. And the ever-eager Chloe (Brittany Snow, game as always) has her heart set on attending veterinary school. The rest of the ladies are mostly an afterthought, each getting a line or two to update their status.
An invitation to join a USO tour and perform in Spain, Italy and France provides just the contrivance to reunite the Bellas for one last hurrah and prolong their avoidance of adulthood.
And that’s pretty much it concerning the flimsiness of the storyline that links one song to another. The numbers are lively as always, but with a sameness of energy and choreography that eventually makes them feel repetitive and numbing.
Several of the absurd throwaway lines are good for a laugh; as always, Kendrick is a master of the deadpan aside. And Wilson has such a wild energy and she so gleefully embraces the inappropriate that she sort of wills you into submission. You can’t help but like her—but also long for sharper material for her. And the movie leans heavily on the physicality of her comedy, as always, while adding a layer of butt-kicking bad-assery that strangely makes sense. But John Lithgow doing an intentionally over-the-top Australian accent as Amy’s shady, estranged father is a misfire and a waste of his formidable abilities.
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Along those lines, “Pitch Perfect 3” is seriously overcrowded with new characters who never truly register, including not one but two blandly handsome potential love interests (Matt Lanter and Guy Burnet). Naturally, the Bellas find themselves in a competition while on the USO tour—this time against a generic pop-country group, a hip-hop duo and an all-female rock band called Evermoist (a name they keep saying over and over again, although it isn’t all that funny the first time). This leads to the obligatory riff-off across genres—a staple of all these movies—which feels more forced than ever.
And it wouldn’t be a “Pitch Perfect” movie without Banks and John Michael Higgins reprising their roles as the commentator duo serving as our passive-aggressive Greek chorus. This time, they insert themselves into the action as a bumbling documentary crew following the Bellas around on their tour. I’d almost rather watch their sloppy footage and snappy banter than this supposed swan song.
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here.
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Film Credits
Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)
93 minutes
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The 14 Best Songs In The Trilogy
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The Pitch Perfect trilogy has featured an array of chart-toppers and even some underrated gems that weren't that big in the acapella space. The film's soundtrack also made room for original compositions, but some of the best Pitch Perfect live performances go for trusted cult hits and adapt it to incorporate acapella arrangements.
Pitbull and Ne-Yo's "Give Me Everything," which has largely been known as a rap/pop club track, has been used in the first movie with some synchronized vocals; other tracks like Jessie J's "Price Tag" or Ludacris' "All I Do Is Win" have been styled to fit a live polyphonic performance. These songs, as well as a few others, helped to make the trilogy really iconic. However, which performances and scenes stood out the most?
Updated on November 21st, 2022 by Quinn Levandoski:
Though there hasn't been a new Pitch Perfect movie since the trilogy wrapped up in 2017, fans of the hit acapella franchise are excited that Adam Devine’s Bumper, who was missing from the third film, will return in Peacock's series Bumper in Berlin on November 23rd.
Pitch Perfect, along with Glee, brought acapella into the public eye and introduced viewers to a style of music that they may not have ever heard before. Even now, years later, the Pitch Perfect movies are well worth rewatching for their impressively catchy songs.
"How A Heart Unbreaks" Is A Rare Song With Instruments
Pitch Perfect 3
In an attempt to mix up the formula from the first two Pitch Perfect movies, Pitch Perfect 3 sees the Bellas reunite to entertain troops on a USO tour. However, for the first time, they aren't just being compared to other acapella groups. Evermoist, headed by Ruby Rose's Calamity, is a particularly tough act to follow with their earworm rock hit, "How A Heart Unbreaks."
Beyond its catchy guitar riffs and Rose's smooth vocal delivery, the song works well by breaking many typical post-breakup song clichés. Stanzas like "I'm gonna smile when it hurts \ Going out tonight with all of my girls \ Party 'til I can't see straight \ This is how a heart unbreaks" acknowledge the pain that any split causes, but it's a celebration of moving on and finding the happiness everyone deserves.
The First Riff-Off Started A Pitch Perfect Tradition
Pitch Perfect
While its cast of fantastic comedic actors boded well for Pitch Perfect before its release, few fans expected the "world-building" that it would do to establish acapella as a competitive event with its own in-world traditions. One such event was the riff-off, which saw different groups of singers jumping in and out of the active spotlight by connecting words from one song to words from another.
The result was an endlessly catchy flow of multiple songs chained together by their lyrics that showed the Bellas not only flexing their vocal chops but also their quick wit. While the riff-off was done again in Pitch Perfect 2 with an amazing cameo by the Green Bay Packers, it just couldn't capture the magic of seeing this type of event for the first time.
"Since U Been Gone" Introduced New Singers With Style
Pitch Perfect
In the first Pitch Perfect movie, the Barden Bellas and the Treblemakers are down several members and need to recruit new singers. Instead of showing several individual tryouts, the movie instead uses a montage to stitch together an acapella version of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."
Beyond generally sounding great, the song is notable for quickly showcasing several singers' personalities, styles, and strengths. From jaw-dropping voices to spot-on beatboxing, it's a fresh take on a great song that succeeds in both entertaining listeners and moving the plot forward.
The Treblemakers Give The Championship All They've Got
Pitch Perfect
The first Pitch Perfect movie is centered around a national collegiate acapella competition, and none of the performances in the finale disappoint. While the Barden Bellas inevitably take home the trophy, the Treblemakers show why they deserve their clout as well.
Starting with Skylar Astin and company's fantastic interpretation of "Bright Lights, Bigger City" and working its way into a Ben Platt-led "I've Got The Magic In Me," it gives several of the main Treblemakers time to shine and acts as a proper penultimate performance for the movie.
"We Got The World/Timber" Set The Bellas Back
Pitch Perfect 2
The Bellas are consistently shown to be a top-tier acapella group in the first Pitch Perfect movie, so the sequel had the challenge of coming up with a way to give them somewhere higher to go. The stakes were raised by bringing their competition international, but the opening of Pitch Perfect 2 also showed some cracks in the group.
The song is as catchy as anything else for the majority of the performance, but stage and choreography malfunctions at the end give the Bellas a big knock to their self-confidence and sets them up to once again have a satisfying underdog story arc.
"Flashlight" Symbolizes The Bellas' Bond
Pitch Perfect 2
The Jessie J number was seen to be a relatable anthem as it seemed to perfectly summarize the Barden Bellas' friendship. With most of the characters graduating, there was a lot of anxiety about what the future would hold for each character and their futures. However, as the lyrics attest, the Barden Bellas had nothing to worry about since the group would not let any member go through this new and scary path alone; they'd work it out together.
The song is subtler in delivery and styling than most of Jessie J's soul-vocal-led songs. "Flashlight" is also one of the best covers in the Pitch Perfect series, and also makes it to the Bellas' World Championship setlist. It follows Beyonce's "Run The World" since it has a really upbeat tempo, and the lyrics are quite positive and hopeful.
"Light 'Em Up" Is DSM's Best Performance
Pitch Perfect 2
This Fall Out Boy anthem did astonishingly well as an acapella production; for listeners who are familiar with the jarring guitar riffs of the original number, the breathy tonality of Das Sound Machine's performance came across as a novelty. They kept their set simple since there was quite a lot to improvise sonically, but the angst of the song is flawlessly projected.
The original number is repeatable and heady, which made it such a perfect pick for a final setlist, especially because it was followed by a lengthy rap sequence so a consistent tempo was crucial for the transition.
"Cups" Became A Viral Hit
Pitch Perfect
This is one of the most popular Pitch Perfect songs on Spotify, and for good reason. It's an unusual composition, the original composition obviously has a longer orchestration than the one in the movie.
The lyrics are about starting a new journey, and Anna Kendrick's original number explores the acapella element quite heavily. However, to make it more repeatable, sonic elements (like a light background piano) have been introduced, which helps the track maintain a consistent tenor outside of the film.
"Cake By The Ocean" Is Light-Hearted Fun
Pitch Perfect 3
The single by the Joe Jonas led-supergroup DNCE is one of the most danceable songs to have been featured in the franchise. However, the Bellas perform an impromptu version of the song during a car ride, and the track's potential for a full-scale acapella production hasn't been explored in the movie.
The song has a vibrant quality, it's lively, and has some great uptempo musical work, which is smooth and yet quite simple. Essentially, it can be covered in almost any cheerful setting.
"Right Round" Showed The Treblemakers' Style
Pitch Perfect
"Right Round" has room for versatility since it can work with all kinds of octaves; Flo Rida's 2009 remix of the Dead or Alive number was able to anchor the composition almost entirely on rap. Pitch Perfect chooses to cover Flo Rida's version, which makes sense because it's more modernized. The song also switches between tempos so it can make the most of the chorus hook.
But what makes the song a valuable addition to the movie's soundtrack is that no one would expect this classic pop track-turned-R&B-chartbuster to find its way to an acapella set, so the performance comes across as really refreshing.
"Crazy Youngsters" Is A Beautiful Youth Anthem
Pitch Perfect 2
Ester Dean, who wrote and performed the song, is one of the most gifted musical talents in the series, also responsible for writing some of Rihanna and Katy Perry's most iconic hits. The song, although designed like a youth anthem, does not flow like a run-off-the-mill peppy composition.
It's quite groovy but also deep and soulful with an intense soundscape; the right balance of drums and bass does a good job of balancing out the song's vocals, and the single fits right into the movie's context.
Party In The USA Showed The Bellas Opening Up
Pitch Perfect
This Miley Cyrus track balances a lot of sonic qualities, which makes it such an ambitious track; the song has been designed like a stomping, youth-oriented number but boasts pretty seasoned guitar work and even has some reggae elements.
But it's not a frothy party anthem or something that can be referred to as 'ear candy;' it's innately catchy and has some sophisticated jazz accents, which give it a mature edge. In the film, the Bellas sing it as a road trip number, which proves the song's styling is incredibly adaptable.
"Cheap Thrills" Is High-Energy Fun
Pitch Perfect 3
Pitch Perfect 3 does not make a lot of changes in this track's soundscape during the live performance. The Sia track is bouncy, effervescent, and has an unconventional lyrical rhythm which adds to the song's unpredictability.
The song has a lot of synth layers, and it plays well when it's being performed live since it elevates the tempo and makes it more nuanced. The Bellas' performance makes room for impromptu high notes, which add an edge to the song.
"Give Me Everything" Won Gold For The Bellas
Pitch Perfect
The Bellas chose to feature this Pitbull, Ne-Yo, and Afrojack number as part of their finale medley. The original song design takes some R&B elements and mixes them against a soulful piano intro and a thumping synth parade.
The song has been packaged as a party anthem but incorporates some very stylized EDM elements, which make it such a great number for an acapella performance. There's also simply a lot of room for vocal improvisation. For their performance, the Bellas focus on the chorus but don't let go of the rap, which helps them stay true to the tempo.
NEXT: 15 Things That Make No Sense About The Pitch Perfect Trilogy
description, content, interesting facts and much more about the film
Belas song lyrics from Pitch Perfect
Seems like everybody's got a price,
I wonder how they sleep at night.
When the tale comes first,
And the truth comes second,
Just stop, for a minute and
Smile
Everybody look to their left
Everybody look to their right
Can you feel that (yeah)
Well pay them with love tonight
It's not about the money, money, money
We don't need your money, money, money
We just wanna make the world dance
Forget about the Price Tag
Ain't about the (ha) Ka-Ching Ka-Ching.
Aint about the (yeah) Ba-Bling Ba-Bling
Wanna make the world dance
Forget about the Price Tag.
Won't you come see about me?
I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby
Tell me your troubles and doubts
Giving me everything inside and out and
As you walk on by
Will you call my name?
I say:
La la la. ..
Tonight I will love love you tonight
Give me everything tonight
For all we know we might not get tomorrow
Let's do it tonight
Grab somebody sexy tell 'em hey
Give me everything tonight
Get busy tonight
Cuz to more and more to do bad before and for Princess
Desperate tonight
I can make you my queen
And make love to you eanless
This is insane, the way the name growin', money keep flowin'
Hustlers move aside, so I'm tiptoein, keep flowin'
I gotta locked up like Lindsay Lohan
Put it on my life baby
I can make you feel right baby
I can't promise tomorrow
But I promise tonight
Dale
Excuse me
But I might drink a little bit more than I should tonight
And I might take you home with me if I could tonight
And Baby I will make you feel so good tonight
And we might not get tomorrow
Don't you fogret about me
Party in the USA
Tonight I will love love you tonight
Give me everything tonight
For all we know we might not get tomorrow
Let's do it tonight Looks like everyone has a price,
I wonder how they sleep at night.