PITCH PERFECT 3 (2018) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

PITCH PERFECT 3 (2018) movie

Genre              |   Comedy Musical

Classification   |   M

Running time   |   93 minutes

Released         |   1 January 2018

cast

Anna Kendrick ... Beca
Rebel Wilson ... Fat Amy
Brittany Snow ... Chloe
Anna Camp ... Aubrey
Hailee Steinfeld ... Emily
John Lithgow ... Fergus
​Elizabeth Banks ... Gail
John Michael Higgins ... John

director

Trish Sie

writer

​Kay Cannon ... (screenplay by) and
Mike White ... (screenplay by)
 
Kay Cannon ... (story by)
 
Mickey Rapkin ... (based on the book by)

cinematographer

​Matthew Clark

music

Christopher Lennertz ​

film editor

​Craig Alpert
Colin Patton

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box office result

Worldwide             $​183,649,545  

Australia                 $​16,130,696

North America       $​104,649,545  

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the best dialogue

Fat Amy: [to their security detail at the military base in Spain] So this is first base. Will we be going to second base with you guys?

Beca: Are you sure about this?
Fat Amy: Have I ever let you down?
Beca: All the time.
Fat Amy: What?
Beca: You're very unreliable. It's like one of the hallmarks of your personality.
Fat Amy: You're not remembering all the times I've been awesome.

Beca: Guys, we've never competed against bands that actually have instruments. So what's the plan?
Serenity: Aw, you guys just sing other people's songs, right? Like karaoke? That's so cute!
Calamity: I'm Calamity. This is Serenity, Veracity, and Charity.
Fat Amy: If I joined your group I could be obesity.

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PITCH PERFECT 3 (2018) MOVIE IMAGES

Images

Posters

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Posters

PITCH PERFECT 3 (2018) STORY SYNOPSIS

​After the highs of winning the World Championships, the Bellas find themselves split apart and discovering there aren't job prospects for making music with your mouth. But when they get the chance to reunite for an overseas USO tour, this group of awesome nerds will come together to make some music, and some questionable decisions, one last time.

PITCH PERFECT 3 (2018) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty   |   Review date 31 December 2017
Pop ​Movee Rating ⭐⭐½

​Ah, the Bellas… Back for one more (maybe last) “A capella” effort before giving the game away. Despite having nothing left to prove, the Bellas come out of retirement and sing for a chance to headline a US military show for the troops stationed in Europe. Flimsy is the best word to describe the premise, but first-time series Director Trish Sie does as much as she can with returning series scribe Kay Cannon and newcomer Mike White’s by-the-numbers screenplay. The film is held together by its musical numbers and, without those, would seriously struggle to fit into the PITCH PERFECT series. Cannon and White’s writing seems far more concerned with servicing Rebel Wilson’s “Fat” Amy character than anything else. Were it not for the aforementioned songs, the majority of the “Bellas” would have no screen time at all. One of the film’s final gags actually involves acknowledging characters that have been present for almost five hours of screen time, but have had nothing to do other than provide background vocals. It’s small moments like these that make this latest PITCH PERFECT outing hit a just-barely acceptable number of high notes.

The film’s opening sequence is one of its highlights. Those familiar with the first two films will be left scratching their heads and wonder how the Bellas came to be in the situation in which they find themselves. Had the writing maintained this level of invention, PITCH PERFECT 3 could have been an absolute riot! For a genuine moment, it feels as though this third outing is going to be an outlandish romp and, quite possibly, a tongue-in-cheek repudiation of everything that happened in the first two outings. Alas, Cannon and White slip back into a more comfortable approach that sees the group get back together, the group go through some personal trials, the group have to rise up against the odds and, ultimately, the group prevail. It’s the most formulaic, generic kind of movie-writing imaginable, but, perhaps, that’s why audiences love these films. The plot is like a Belgian Hot Chocolate on a cold Winter’s night. The warmth, sweetness and predictability of this fine brew brings comfort to the body and the soul like few other things can… Then, there’s Rebel Wilson.

​Has anyone ever asked overweight people if “Fat” Amy offends them? If so, any protests they may have voiced seem to have been completely ignored by the PITCH PERFECT producers. Rebel Wilson sure doesn’t mind taking on the mantle of resident “Fat” person, but it’s hard to understand her appeal. Very few of Wilson’s gags are actually delivered by her as funny lines. She relies on comedic contrivance for her best material and, at best, it’s worth a couple of chuckles. Sure, she seems like a good foil for Anna Kendrick, but her screen time far outweighs her ability. This time around, Cannon has written her a sub-plot that involves her Gangster Father, played by John Lithgow, doing one of the worst Australian accents ever committed to film. (Surely, someone in the post-production team could have had Lithgow come back and loop something that didn’t sound like a South African crossed with a Brooklyn Mafioso.) Wilson and Lithgow’s scenes are terrible. John Lithgow is a talented actor, but his dive into Comedy with PITCH PERFECT 3 and DADDY’S HOME 2 has been anything but enjoyable. Trish Sie and her Film Editors, Craig Alpert and Colin Patton, must have had their work cut out to find any usable material from either Lithgow or Wilson, but somehow they’ve stitched together scenes that make some sense and move the story forward. Thankfully, both gentleman are experienced Comedy Editors and their collective expertise has been put to the very best use in this instance.

You might be asking at this point of the review, “Why is this a ⭐️⭐️½ movie?” That would suggest that it’s in the average to above average range, but the review suggests anything other than acceptable... It’s the music! While the concept is now three movies old, the relative dearth of movies with good soundtracks (as opposed to musical scores), make movies like PITCH PERFECT 3 stand out from the crowd. The third film takes far fewer risks than the previous entries, but the songs provide the emotional core of the story and provide a feelgood factor for viewers. Where this third film misses out is the presence of strong leader like previous Directors Jason Moore or Elizabeth Banks. Banks reprises her role as Gail, one half of the jaded “A capella” competition Commentary Team, but wasn’t prepared to back up for a second gig behind the camera; opting to take the role of Producer. It’s a real shame because, by the end of the second film, it seemed as if the series had struck the right balance between the competing musical and comedic elements. Her vast acting experience has served her well as a Director and, in PITCH PERFECT 2, she allowed the characters to play their moments without letting them go overboard. Trish Sie doesn’t seem to have the same control over her cast. Where the second film film didn’t feel like too much of a step down from Jason Moore’s first movie, the third feels like a considerable step down from the second. Fortunately, it’s not completely tone deaf, but one last tune is more than enough to close out this show!

PITCH PERFECT 3 (2018) USEFUL LINKS

​Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) - IMDb
​Pitch Perfect 3 - Wikipedia
​Pitch Perfect 3 (2017) - Rotten Tomatoes

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