Pitch Perfect 3

Release Date: March 20, 2018
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, Hailee Steinfeld, and more!
Studio: Universal Pictures
Extra Feature Rating:  ★★★★☆
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Review Spoilers: Moderate
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The former Barden Bellas are back on stage for their last great performance in Pitch Perfect 3 which comes out on blu-ray today. It’s a fitting end to the a capella franchise which mixed humor and music in a way that captivated fans for years.

But Pitch Perfect 3 does something impressive – it reinvents the series.

Yes, there’s still a singing competition element that goes along with it. And there is plenty of a capella to go around. There are some really great songs thrown in and if all you’re here for are the performances (and the soundtrack) you won’t be disappointed. If you hoped for something more, though, you’re going to be pleased.

Pitch Perfect 3 sees the girls participating in a USO tour overseas as a way to reclaim their former glory. After graduating from Barden they all went their separate ways and like a lot of young people who haven’t quite found their way they miss the good times they had as a capella champions. Along the way they learn to embrace the positive changes they’ve made in their lives and their full potential outside of the a capella arena.

They also get abducted and basically turn the whole movie into a mini-Taken reboot. The great part is that I’m not even kidding. That literally happens and as crazy at it seems it’s pretty awesome. I love Rebel Wilson and seeing her kick-ass and take names made this entire movie worth it.

Our reviewer, Elise Kulik, absolutely loved the film and gave it a full five stars. Obviously from my rating is a little lower. I wasn’t really that into the whole competition angle from the get go. Nor did I find Beca’s arc with DJ Khaled that interesting. Instead, while Beca has been our primary character for a while it was the other girls that really impressed me and I only wish there was a little more singing from the military guys.

The best part of the film, though, was the credits. There’s a number of outtakes and scenes from throughout the franchise. they’re presented as if they are part of the fictional documentary that’s being filmed about the Barden Bellas in this movie. It’s great — and a bit emotional for long-time fans who are saying goodbye to the Bellas.

This really was a very solid ending to a great series. I’m sad that it’s over but I’m very impressed with the way that Pitch Perfect 3 felt so much like the previous films while setting itself apart with a truly imaginative plot.

Special Features

But this isn’t just a movie review. This is a review of the full blu-ray release and let me tell you guys this: it’s packed full of special features. I was honestly surprised. There are a ton of great featurettes and little extras.

One of the best special features is A Capella Action. It focuses on the action movie feel that the filmmakers tried to give the movie from the very beginning. In particular, the short featurette gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie’s pivotal action sequence (which also features the song, Toxic). Another featurette in a similar vein is Don’t Mess With Rebel which also focuses on Rebel Wilson’s evolution into an action star!

Others get a bit more reflective. The Final Performance sees the cast commenting on the end of the franchise while The Final Note focuses more specifically on the characters of John and Gail. There’s also another one, The Women of Pitch Perfect 3, that discusses the girl power message throughout the films (as well as the journey towards finding the perfect female director for their last performance).

The majority of them, though, focus on the making of Pitch Perfect 3. 

Hollywood of the South discusses filming in Atlanta from the set directors’ ability to transform Atlanta into European locales to the great filming locations they got to include. Meanwhile Competition Crescendo talks about how the filmmakers incorporated the other musical groups and genres into the film. But really the best one is probably Just Because He’s a Bad Guy which is entirely about John Lithgow’s appearance in the film.

There’s also over three minutes of gag reel footage and it really comes as no surprise that they have that much silly extra footage. I mean, look at how funny this cast has been over the years! And for the fans who are truly here for the music, the bonus features also include two musical performances pulled from the film and three extended performances from the other musical groups featured in the film. Plus they included a special music video, “Freedom! ’90 x Cups,” which is a fitting goodbye to the series.

Final Thoughts

I was very impressed with how Pitch Perfect 3 wrapped up the Pitch Perfect franchise. I’ve loved these films from the beginning (even if the projectile vomiting in the first film was way too over the top for me) and I’ve loved taking this journey with the Bellas. I was sad that some characters from the earlier films failed to return but for the most part it made sense. This was the end of the girls’ story and so they should take the forefront. I’m just glad John and Gail got to tag along.

The blu-ray combo pack does an excellent job of pulling together a great end to a fun journey through college a capella and beyond. The bonus featurettes were a lot of fun and fans will enjoy working their way through them. 

You can pick up Pitch Perfect 3 on DVD, blu-ray combo pack, or on digital at Movies Anywhere. I recommend at least picking up the blu-ray combo pack since the DVD’s bonus features are more limited than the ones included on the blu-ray!