Pitch Perfect 3

So, for the sake of honesty, I’ve not seen the first 2 movies and this was where I was jumping in, and like I’ve said before musicals aren’t really my thing. That being said, I was incredibly pleasantly surprised by this movie, I went into it with very low expectations, and over the course of the run time, it made me smile and laugh a good few times. Now whilst Trish Sie’s movie isn’t going to win any awards, it does manage to be effortless charming throughout. The plot whilst being unbelievable, is no more so than a Fast and the Furious movie, and I believe that if you can get past that there is a lot to love about this film. None of the characters are particularly grating, which is a surprise because usually in these larger ensemble movies, where characters are more caricatures than anything else that is usually the case. The songs are mostly quite good, with only one or two feeling a little too long. However, even in the case of the bad songs the choreography of the dance sequences are all very well done and quite impressive. Ruby Rose’s character of Calamity, is probably my favorite character of the whole film. Whilst she isn’t given much to do, with the general focus staying with the main characters; she is an entertaining antagonist and has one of the best musical set pieces in the whole film.  The plot centers around Beca Mitchell, (Anna Kendrick), and the rest of the Bella’s reuniting to play a show for the US troops.  From there it devolves into a strange plot of singing, kidnapping, and c4 in cereal. Whilst many people criticise the film for its unbelievable plot, I liked it because every moment I was entertained and engaged. I even thought that the subplot about Fat Amy, (Rebel Wilson), and her estranged father was quite touching in parts if a little ridiculous. Furthermore, this sweetness carried over into the romance between Chicago, ( Matt Lanter), and Chloe, (Brittany Snow), which I thought was very believable and didn’t slow down the film at all. Most the jokes land quite well, with the exception of a few, but on the whole a very funny film. To compare it to a recent musical the Greatest Showman, I felt that whilst the song was good, they weren’t quite as memorable or whimsical. Really the main issue with this film is that its characters feel a little one-note and generic; with none of them outside of Wilson’s Fat Amy having much of an arc. That being said this film made me want to go back and watch the other two movies, and that is it’s the strongest praise. Whilst not for everyone, there is a lot to love about this movie, it’s sweet, charming and most of all entertaining; and most certainly an excellent not to go out on.

3.5/5

Reviewed by Luke