A Pitch Perfect Mess of a Film

Rating: Null/10 (3 January 2018)

I am a huge fan of Pitch Perfect; it is that rare film where you can watch countless times and always be entertained by the brilliant cast, writing, songs and general feel good that surrounds a movie where all involved know they are creating something special.
Pitch Perfect 2 pretty much drained all the good will I had for the series; a real let down.
When I saw there was a Pitch Perfect 3 I was really suspicious but we movie fans are sentimental at heart; we want to see the good in a franchise that provided such a great first film. So I bought my ticket and then proceeded to watch what I confidently predict to be the worst film I will watch this year.
Pitch Perfect 3 is a great example of how franchise owners foolishly believe that a returning cast can re-create magic time after time, even when given a lame plot, script and new weak supporting characters. This film only shows how wrong this approach is. The brilliant Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins are recycled, only this time with truly awful lines. Rebel Wilson was clearly considered by the producers to be a comic genius in the first film but clearly gave us her best lines (about 2 of them) back in the first film. Even Anna Kendrick cannot save this film. The basic problem is that in trying to go out on a high, the discipline of the first film is lost to self-indulgent terrible ad libbing and a weak plot centred around Wilson as an action hero.
Ok so what would I have done differently? The re-uniting for the USO tour could have focused much more on cheering up battle scarred troops which would have added some much needed depth to the film. There could have been a great opening to the film starting with Beca visiting each character in their new ordinary lives to persuade them to return to the group. The DJ competition should have been ditched completely. They should also have paid any money to have Adam Devine and Skylar Astin to reprise their roles as their relationships with the girls provided so much to the first film's success. Aubrey's relationship with her father could also have been explored in much more depth and Fat Amy with a half decent script and solid soldier character support could have been the love interest this time.
Despite all of the above, I will always be thankful to the cast and crew for bringing the original Pitch Perfect to the screen. It will always be a go to movie for when I need cheering up. I really hope that all concerned know that its time for the series to say goodbye.