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Making a truly great trilogy is a difficult thing to pull off and the Pitch Perfect franchise was so close to doing so. Throughout history, so many trilogies have given fans two great entries and a lackluster one. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, Blade, and Alien, are just a few cases of this being the truth.
The original Pitch Perfect proved to be a huge box office hit and was a success with critics. Pitch Perfect 2 nearly made $300 million and was also met with strong reviews. However, the final leg of the trilogy fell in terms of its worldwide box office intake and received the worst critical reception of the series.
Pitch Perfect 3's Spy Storyline Made No Sense
Barden Bellas Toxic Boat Scene Pitch Perfect 3
The main issue with Pitch Perfect 3 is that there's a random spy storyline thrown into the mix. The main setup of the film is fine, with the Barden Bellas on a USO tour where they get to perform their songs around the world, while also dealing with the fact that they won't be together much longer.
However, there's a side plot involving Amy's father, who had never been seen in the franchise before. Her estranged dad's name is Fergus Hobart (John Lithgow) and he's a ruthless international crime lord. It's the kind of thing that comes from out of nowhere and doesn't really make any sense.
On top of the plot itself not working, the movie only really dives into this for the third act. The Bellas get abducted onto Fergus' yacht to manipulate Amy, who then sneaks on board to save them. She uses various martial arts moves and is able to take down several dangerous thugs without much help.
Amy was known for a lot of things in Pitch Perfect but having the skillset available to pull this off was never even hinted at. When she's able to make the save for her friends and set up a bomb to explode, the audience is more confused and put off than excited or cheerful.
This whole sequence might've made more sense if Amy found cunning ways to stop her father, rather than utilize the skills of a professional. Without that, the whole thing is just odd. Would it even be brought up again in a potential Pitch Perfect 4?
Amy's Spy Story Doesn't Fit The Franchise's Tone
Movies doing over-the-top things that don't always make sense can actually work in many cases. However, the film's tone needs to fit that, so we can completely buy into it, regardless of how absurd it is. In another franchise, a random turn into spy action would work but that's not the case with Pitch Perfect.
This is a series that, despite being wacky and goofy at times, was never absurd. It also never dove into the realm of action, so having the final act of the three movies culminate in an explosion and one of the characters taking down a bunch of criminals, didn't work.
Pitch Perfect 3 could've told the same story about Amy having an estranged father without going this route. It would've worked especially well since Aubrey has a similar plot going on, involving her father not coming to support her often. This isn't a franchise that needed some big action scenes at the end.
The Rest Of Pitch Perfect 3 Is Actually Good
The most frustrating aspect of Pitch Perfect 3 marking a disappointing ending to a strong franchise is that the rest of the movie is right in line with what we'd come to love. It's far from perfect, with things like Beca's new romance feeling forced and not needed, but it's a ton of fun.
Fans come to Pitch Perfect for the musical numbers, which are stellar here again. Their version of "Toxic" is actually fantastic (though it does come during the spy scenes), their take on "Sit Still Look Pretty" is very good, and "Cheap Thrills" is one of the better numbers of the entire series.
The "Riff Off," a staple of the Pitch Perfect franchise, gets another unique spin on it, with some of their opponents using instruments. Fans look forward to those scenes and the fact that the one we got was different enough to stand out is part of why it works so well.
The idea of the Bellas, who have already graduated, having to deal with the uncertainty of what comes next in their lives makes for a good story, while characters like Emily keep us grounded with the current crop of Bellas. The spy story turned it from a good third entry into something too odd to work.
Add in the fact that the charismatic cast is as good as ever, with Anna Kendrick, Hailee Steinfeld, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, and the rest of the group all delivering quality performances and you've got a recipe for success. Unfortunately, Pitch Perfect 3 found a way to take those good things and ultimately miss the mark on completing the franchise.