Pitch Perfect 3 (2017)

[Moviesnob]

I saw this one last night. It was entertaining, once I convinced myself to just forget my expectations and the first one and logic and stuff.

None of the guys are present, and I felt their absence. I liked Jesse, Benji, and Bumper just as much as the Bella's. The songs were pretty good, but there was much less acapella than usual.  My favorites were Toxic and Cheap Thrills. The Riff Off is run to listen to, but it was the most awkward and forced riff off in the entire world. It had a shorter running time, and the entire thing felt rushed - the "villains" weren't really fleshed out, and any story that wasn't for Becca or Fat Amy was very quickly dealt with.

I did like Becca's storyline the most, even though I had to push myself really REALLY HARD to get over the fact that she was offered an opening spot for a famous act when she'd only put together a few notes for the producer, she had never performed solo in front of an audience, and didn't even have a number to actually perform. The film actually did a good job of the Bella's giving their blessing to Becca doing a solo act, at which point she brings them all up on stage anyway (and the music exec's, who specifically said they didn't want the Bella's, are loving it).

Fat Amy was just ... what? My friends that I with thought her family storyline was hilarious, and it definitely got some laughs, but the writers definitely had no idea what to do with the plot. The second one had a scene where the group talked about their plans after college, and this one also had a scene with everyone talking about their plans following the tour. If you can't find enough plot for a third installment, maybe just don't make one.

I loved the first one and disliked the second.  My main beef with the second was that I thought there was no way the Bella's could beat DSM with their performance. I don't want to say this one was better or worse than the second, although I did enjoy it a little bit more since I went in with lowered expectations.

[GaT]

I'm waiting until next week to see this, but it sounds pretty much like I expected.

4 hours ago, Moviesnob said:

I loved the first one and disliked the second.  My main beef with the second was that I thought there was no way the Bella's could beat DSM with their performance. 

I didn't dislike the second, it was more like I was disappointed by it, but I hated DSM, I thought their whole German BDSM act was just stupid.

[shantown]

I missed the mashups in this one. I know in PP2 they kind of scoffed at the constant mashups after the Snoop Dogg Christmas song. But I really missed them in this one - the big mashup performances at the end of the first two movies were my favorite moments. I still liked the movie but it didn't make me want to stand up and clap (PP1) or lay down and cry (PP2).

[CofCinci]

I kept waiting for Bumper to save the day with all the spy shit or a credit scene where she is in the Cayman Islands with him. Very disappointed in the film and disappointed in myself to even want a Bumper scene. 

[Frost]

I still love the first movie and can't help but watch it whenever I catch it on TV.  I still hate the second movie and can't help but watch it to see if it's any better this time.  Sadly, it's not.  I'm torn on whether to go see the third one or just wait until it shows up on Netflix.

[twoods]

5 hours ago, Frost said:

I still love the first movie and can't help but watch it whenever I catch it on TV.  I still hate the second movie and can't help but watch it to see if it's any better this time.  Sadly, it's not.  I'm torn on whether to go see the third one or just wait until it shows up on Netflix.

I'm waiting until Netflix because I don't want to pay money to be disappointed again. The first one was so good, then I paid to see the second one and it wasn't very good. All the heart that went into the first one was gone, and the third looks worse. I don't know why they took the guys out of the third one, when part of the first one's charm was the Treblemakers. Hopefully they are done with making these movies before they get worse and worse. There was so much potential with a third (reunion with the guys at perhaps Amy and Bumper's wedding wth them trying to save the acapella groups at Barton because of budget cuts would have been great to see), but they went with the girls and a bunch of bad jokes (from what I heard). No, thank you.

[ClareWalks]

I agree that this movie felt rushed and unnecessary and everyone seemed totally checked out (all the actors). The only one who made me laugh and seemed engaged was Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy. Fat Amy delivered, at least as much as the weak material allowed. I admit I was quite impressed by Rebel's fighting skills, although I'm sure a lot of that was a double. I would have loved a flashback re: how the hell Fat Amy learned to kick ass like The Bride in Kill Bill or some shit.

[rmontro]

On 12/29/2017 at 3:46 PM, Moviesnob said:

I loved the first one and disliked the second.  My main beef with the second was that I thought there was no way the Bella's could beat DSM with their performance. I don't want to say this one was better or worse than the second, although I did enjoy it a little bit more since I went in with lowered expectations.

Thanks for the review.  Good point about the finale, I was not overwhelmed at all by the Bellas' "Flashlight" performance, and as you say I did not come away thinking they had beaten DSM.  Whereas in the first movie, although the Treble Makers were good, the Bellas' medley at the end was clearly the winner.

Like you, I loved the first movie.  Most of the songs found their way into my head as ear worms.  But the second movie was just disappointing, and there seemed to be too much emphasis on pushing the "Flashlight" song, which I didn't care for.  The best part for me was the mid credits scene with Bumper on The Voice, and that's kind of said when you think about it.  And why do we need villains anyway?  The first movie didn't have any villains, not really.  There were the Treble Makers, but two of the Bellas ended up dating two of them so they weren't so bad after all.

Sad to hear none of the guys are back.  I'll probably wait for Netflix on this one too, like some of the other posters are saying.  Just curious, what is the connection between Netflix and the Pitch Perfect series?  Is there one?

[Moviesnob]

4 hours ago, rmontro said:

Like you, I loved the first movie.  Most of the songs found their way into my head as ear worms.  But the second movie was just disappointing, and there seemed to be too much emphasis on pushing the "Flashlight" song, which I didn't care for. 

I did get the soundtrack, and the few acapella tracks on it are really good. Just not as much as the prior movies.

[GaT]

7 hours ago, rmontro said:

Like you, I loved the first movie.  Most of the songs found their way into my head as ear worms.  But the second movie was just disappointing, and there seemed to be too much emphasis on pushing the "Flashlight" song, which I didn't care for.  

I will forever love the Bella's version of "No Diggity" which I rewind & rewatch when the movie is on. A big part of the problem with the 2nd movie (which I actually just watched again last night) was the pushing of "Flashlight". They tried to make it another "Cups" & failed big time because the song sucked. I think they must have known it was bad because instead of releasing the single with the cast singing it, they had Jessie J do it.

[Glory]

I really liked this movie. I feel like there are not enough popcorn fluff movies out there - it's either drama or superheros. So I appreciated this movie for just being a fun comedy with some fun pop-songs thrown in. 

I thought it was hilarious. Anna Kendrick is still my fave and her and Rebel Wilson need to do a copy buddy comedy next. I wouldn't mind seeing Rebel Wilson in an action flick, either, as her scenes on the boat had me gasping for breath I was laughing so hard. 

I mean, it was pretty obvious the Bella's were NOT going to open for a big music star, but I liked the way they handled the whole thing. It was really cute. The constant cuts to "Jessica and Ashley" were too funny. 

Does anyone know why Stacey wasn't in the movie more? Was the actress busy? Or was she really pregnant? Just curious. 

[bettername2come]

I enjoyed it. Musically, I think this was the weakest, but I have to give them credit for going in another direction and making the villain have nothing to do with their singing. Loved the Fat Amy action scenes. Becca just popping up on the boat claiming she'd been there the whole time and was just small was funny and threw me off because I was expecting her to get caught sneaking onto the boat. I'd be on board for a Becca and Fat Amy as spies spinoff. Also thought it was really cute that Becca and Fat Amy were holding hands when they jumped off the boat. I'm happy Becca gets to continue her music, glad the Bellas got to sing again one last time, and glad Fat Amy gets 180 million. I miss the guys and I'm kind of sad that Jesse and Becca broke up.

[GaT]

I finally got around to seeing this & I enjoyed it. I thought the whole ending was a little strange, but OK. I didn't understand what happened to Lily & why she turned into Esther though, she must have said something, but I can never decipher what she says. 

[afterbite]

@GaT, she said the demon (devil maybe?) had finally left her.

Just saw it tonight and had a thoroughly enjoyable time. It was self-referential and self-aware - they put themselves in a ridiculous plot and acknowledged it in a meta sort of way. After all, you have to go to ridiculous lengths to find a reason for an undergrad acapella group to continue to have adventures together, and they were smart enough to play it as half sincere and half wink and a nod to the audience. They wanted to get together one more time. We (or at least I) wanted them to get together one more time. They poked gentle, loving fun at themselves, gave nods to the previous movies, and went out with a literal bang.

I didn't miss the Treblemakers or the guys because I never cared about them, so I guess I'm a bit of an anomaly on this forum. For me, it's always been about the girls being friends, being funny, and supporting one another. Except Jessica and Ashley.

[tennisgurl]

I will call this one better than the 2nd one, but still not as good as the 1st one. Its certainly a...different sequel (I cant say I expected to see so many explosions in a Pitch Perfect sequel!) but I think that worked to the movies advantage. It didn't feel as much like a retread of the first movie the way the second one did, and it tried some different things. 

I was sad that Jessie and Becca broke up. Yeah it makes sense (they got together their first year in college and now they've been out for at least a few years) but its still sad. But it was a movie about the relationship between the Bella's and how they needed to move on, while also staying in touch, so it worked out. I also love that the Bella's were supportive of Becca taking the solo gig right away, even though Becca had doubts. I've seen too many movies where a character gets an awesome opportunity, and their friends and loved ones get all jealous and jerky and dont want them to take it because of...reasons, so it was nice to see that subverted here. 

I got to see this with one of my friends from college, who I actually saw the first one in theaters when we were still in school, so it hit me in some notable feels towards the end. 

Edited January 15, 2018 by tennisgurl

[GaT]

Just curious, has anyone heard anything about them continuing with the series? They've made it clear that the series with this cast is done, so I wonder if they plan on a new cast & being back in school. I think being back in school would be a great idea.

Also, I forgot to ask this. Did anybody else find Fat Amy's hostility towards Emily strange? I don't remember anything like that from #2, so it just seemed kind of random to me.

[shantown]

1 hour ago, GaT said:

Also, I forgot to ask this. Did anybody else find Fat Amy's hostility towards Emily strange? I don't remember anything like that from #2, so it just seemed kind of random to me.

I found her hostility towards a lot of characters strange, namely Emily and Aubrey. I know she was always the outspoken/abrasive one in previous movies, but this time around she was just out-of-place mean and I think it was really a disservice to the movie (and to Rebel Wilson, who can be really funny). 

[ChelseaNH]

On 1/11/2018 at 7:47 PM, GaT said:

I didn't understand what happened to Lily & why she turned into Esther though, she must have said something

"Satan has finally left my body."

I finally saw this and, not trying to be mean, it reminded me of Spice World -- very self-aware, throw everything against the wall to see what sticks, over-the-top but with a strong sentimental streak of female bonding.  As long as you're not expecting quality, you can relax and find the fun in some of the moments.  It helps when you're just paying a rental price rather than buying a theater ticket.

I was expecting to see "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" but I guess that only made the trailer.

[slowpoked]

I saw this movie last night, and I'm genuinely amazed at how much mileage this franchise got. It got 3 big studio movie releases, all 3 movies bona fide blockbuster hits, no straight-to-DVD movies, produced stars in Kendrick and Wilson, was able to bring most of the major cast back...and all of this in a plot about an....acapella group. Probably one of those rare times Hollywood's out-of-the-box thinking produced something quite enjoyable. 

It's hard to replicate the magic and freshness of the riff off and the aca-puns in the first movie, so I can understand why all of it felt forced in this third movie. But I agree with most of you that on its own, this third movie was quite enjoyable. It's self-aware and most of the movie was a wink to its fans. Kendrick's final performance made me sad as it made me miss George Michael all over again. 

I thought I read somewhere that if they were going to make this a continuing franchise (ala Fast and Furious), that Hailee Steinfeld will be taking in the reins. I don't know what happened to that idea, but if this is indeed the last call, way to go out with a bang, pitches. 

[GaT]

3 hours ago, slowpoked said:

I thought I read somewhere that if they were going to make this a continuing franchise (ala Fast and Furious), that Hailee Steinfeld will be taking in the reins. I don't know what happened to that idea, but if this is indeed the last call, way to go out with a bang, pitches. 

I think this is the last film with this cast, but they plan on continuing it with another cast. If they go back to Barden (which I hope), then they can keep Emily Junk & give her new Bellas to work with & continue the franchise.

[Duke2801]

This was just .... odd and disjointed. Like, they introduce Ruby Rose and her band as “competition” ... but then that storyline just kinda fizzles out. They show some awkward “cute” flirting between Chloe and Chicago... but that plot line goes nowhere. I love John Lithgow but his role as Fat Amy’s dad was just strange- as was that entire plot line. 

I missed the Treblakers! I enjoyed a few of the Bellas performances - mainly the “riff off” and the “Freedom” finale - but not nearly as much as the original movie. 

Ok i did admittedly laugh when one of them is like “I brought this [the cup] just in case” and somebody else quickly knocks it out of her hand.

All in all I didn’t hate it but glad I did not pay more than $1.50 at Redbox to see it. 

Edited March 26, 2018 by Duke2801

[BoogieBurns]

On 12/31/2017 at 2:38 PM, Glory said:

Does anyone know why Stacey wasn't in the movie more? Was the actress busy? Or was she really pregnant? Just curious. 

Her instagram makes it seem like Alexis Knapp broke her leg very badly before (or right when) filming began. She is a mom, but her kid was probably born between PP1 and PP2. They may have written her out because she couldn't perform. It's possible she was injured on set, but that's only based on timing.

[ExplainItAgain]

Ah! I was wondering why Alexis wasn't part of the group. I always liked Stacie so I'm glad they wove her in a little bit.

I wished that Jesse and Bumper had shown up, even for just a quick scene. I was expecting to see Beca's dad pop up somewhere too.

I really hope they are done with this franchise - I really don't even want to see a new cast. Too hard to catch lightning in a bottle again.

[ChelseaNH]

On 3/31/2018 at 7:58 PM, ExplainItAgain said:

I really don't even want to see a new cast.

I wasn't paying enough attention to be sure, but I think the new Bellas were deliberately cast as echoes of the vintage Bellas -- they had a Fat Amy clone, for example.

Hopefully not a plan for a continuation of the series, but just a really good in-joke.

[RedMal]

I was surprised how much I liked this one. The first one is really good, but the second one... ehh, I don't need to watch it ever again.

Funny thing is how it felt like that in the middle of writing process, writers realized they are making once again the same story about some big competition and just threw random crime story into the mix.

But yeah, I liked it. Most of the jokes landed, unlike in the second one, music was fine and it had a bitter sweet, real ending vibe. I'll miss the chemistry between the cast.

Oh, and Flo was cut short this time. She is an awful character, so thank god for that. There was way too many of her "jokes" in the second one.

[BoogieBurns]

On 4/26/2018 at 10:54 AM, RedMal said:

The first one is really good, but the second one... ehh, I don't need to watch it ever again

I like 1 and 2 the exact same amount. This was my least favorite mostly because Rebel's humor is far too broad for my taste and they really gave her a ton of screen time.

[RedMal]

On 9.5.2018 at 7:44 PM, BoogieBurns said:

I like 1 and 2 the exact same amount. This was my least favorite mostly because Rebel's humor is far too broad for my taste and they really gave her a ton of screen time.

That's funny, since I thought Rebel was one of the biggest problems in part 2, but I found her much more tolerable in this one.

[rmontro]

On 4/26/2018 at 11:54 AM, RedMal said:

But yeah, I liked it. Most of the jokes landed, unlike in the second one, music was fine and it had a bitter sweet, real ending vibe. I'll miss the chemistry between the cast.

The cast really did have good chemistry, and this one did have a very bittersweet ending.  

The "feel" of this movie was a lot closer to the first one than the second one was, the second one had kind of an odd feel.  Part of that was probably trying too hard to shoehorn Hailee Steinfeld and that dreadful "Flashlight" song into the mix.  But part was probably also the director (sorry, Elizabeth Banks).  A director has a big effect on the way a movie feels.  While this movie was nowhere near as good as the first one, it at least feels like a worthy successor.

I guess the storyline made sense, but it really angered me that DJ Khaled for telling Beca the Bellas were holding her back.  This seems to be the trend in music today, dump the group and go solo.  Were Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, or Starr better without the Beatles?  I know Beca was a strong creative force, but she could have used the Bellas as a vehicle.  She ended up doing it anyway onstage at the end.  But at least they wrote it so that the rest of them wanted to go do something else anyway, leaving Beca to follow her dream.

[Mabinogia]

On 9/21/2018 at 6:18 PM, rmontro said:

but it really angered me that DJ Khaled for telling Beca the Bellas were holding her back.  This seems to be the trend in music today, dump the group and go solo.

IDK, considering the were an acapella group, if she wanted to break into the record business, they were holding her back. Acapella isn't really a record selling genre. She was never going to break into the record producing career she wanted singing with an acapella group. 

I pretty much hated this movie though. I thought it was terrible, unfunny and ridiculous. I actually prefer the not great second movie to this one, though neither are anywhere near the first. For me their biggest mistake was focusing so much on Fat Amy. The storyline with her father was as annoying as her "romance" with Bumper last movie. Stop trying to make her the star!!! I'm biased. I don't get what is so great about Rebel Wilson. Is it that she is willing to make fat jokes at her own expense? I just don't see much of anything else from her. I guess it's cool she can hold a note for so long, but other than that I don't understand how she kind of morphed into the star of the movies. 

Also, I missed Jesse the worlds oldest looking college student. lol It always cracked me up how much he looked like he was pushing 30 as a college freshman. 

I did like finally meeting Aubrey's dad. I think she was always my favorite Bella. 

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

IDK, considering the were an acapella group, if she wanted to break into the record business, they were holding her back. Acapella isn't really a record selling genre. She was never going to break into the record producing career she wanted singing with an acapella group. 

You're right of course (although Pentatonix might disagree with you).  But I'm not looking at this movie as being exactly realistic.  It seems to exist in its own little fantasy world where acapella groups are on a par with country bands and whatever that girl group was (alternative maybe?).  Amy being revealed as having super ninja type fighting abilities is a good example of how much realism there is here.

I like this movie better than the first but I agree both sequels are far behind the first one.  I agree Rebel Wilson is featured a little too much upfront, but that's to be expected since she's the comedy relief and has become a star in her own right.  Here presence was much more balanced in the first one.  I did like when the guy with the scarred face threw a burrito at her during the fight scene, it was a nice callback to the first movie.

[Artsda]

Pitch Perfect Stars Anna Camp and Skylar Astin Split After 2 Years of Marriage