PITCH PERFECT 3
****
Director: Trish Sie
Screenwriter: Kay Cannon, Mike White
Principal Cast:
Rebel Wilson
Anna Kendrick
Ruby Rose
Brittany Snow
Anna Camp
Hailee Steinfeld
Elizabeth Banks
John Michael Higgins
John Lithgow
Country: USA
Classification: M
Runtime: 93 mins.
Australian Release Date: 1 January 2018
Previewed at: Hoyts Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney, on 29 November 2017.
The third instalment in the Pitch Perfect series is, well, almost pitch perfect, at least when judged by the confines of its genre. By all accounts it’s the grand finale for the a cappella group, headed by Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and comprised of Beca (Anna Kendrick), Fat Amy (RebelWilson), Aubrey (Anna Camp), Stacie (Alexis Knapp), Florencia (Chrissie Fit), Ashley (ShelleyRegner), Lilly (Hana Mae Lee), Jessica (Kelley Jakle), Cynthia (Ester Dean) and Chloe(Brittany Snow). In Pitch Perfect 3 the girls think they're reuniting for a final performance but quickly realise they've been invited just to see Emily sing with her new group. Chatting later, they realise that they're all frustrated with their current post-grad jobs after the excitement and camaraderie of college. When Aubrey says her dad can get them a gig on a USO tour, they’re
only too keen to agree.
Their last hurrah involves performing for American troops in Europe. This is not only a much-yearned for reunion though but also a chance to open for DJ Khaled (himself), but it seems they're not the only ones vying for the job. The Bellas find fierce competition from a more ruthless band, the hilariously named Evermoist, headed by Calamity (Ruby Rose), who look down on the Bellas for being uncool and ‘so last year'. Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) though is having none of that and is particularly adept at taking on the competition. Things get out of hand while
touring Spain, when Amy's reunion with her estranged father, Fergus, (played by John Lithgow, speaking with a rather out-there Aussie accent) adds to the off-the- wall script and provides a most bizarre sub-plot that somehow works. We even get to see Fat Amy exhibit her martial arts prowess!
Director Sie succeeds in shining the expected light on the group's talents and brings their unique style to the fore and fans of the previous Pitch Perfect films won’t be disappointed by this final instalment of the franchise. The performances are all very watchable and often highly amusing. Wilson in particular has that certain something that keeps you riveted. She is an enigma and you can feel her energy and charisma radiate. Fellow Aussie Ruby Rose acquits herself well too, as the film's ‘baddy’. Wilson's recent success battling a defamation case in
Australia has put her in the limelight, even if not for the best reason; however, it provided a platform for her girl-power attitude to be revealed. Pitch Perfect 3 shows how, in the current climate where women are being used and abused in Hollywood, it takes a robust, foul-mouthed
Aussie gal to rise above the pile and show that grit and sheer determination, coupled with a whacky sense of timing, make solid careers possible. Singing-wise, she is definitely not the most talented one in the group but she’s definitely the one who stands out in the film – go girl!