By Jasmine Pascual, Webmaster/ Staff Writer
Many people have seen the movie Pitch Perfect, the wonderful combination of a comedy and a musical blended together flawlessly. Viewers either fell in love with it or decided acapella wasn’t their preference.
But since the first movie, the franchise has created a sequel, Pitch Perfect 2 (2015), and a third installment of the franchise, Pitch Perfect 3, coming out December 22. While the first movie was enjoyable, the second movie lacked the same magic the first installment had created. Personally, the franchise should’ve stopped after the first installment. After watching Pitch Perfect 2, it was clear to me that this was not the sequel I had anticipated. So when I found out a third installment was in the works, I was like “aca-scuse me?”
Sure the ”Barden Bellas” Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick), the infamous Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), and Chloe Beale (Brittany Snow) are favorable actresses with great chemistry, but it’s inevitable that every franchise is going to end. While the original film Pitch Perfect grossed $115 million on a $17 million budget and Pitch Perfect 2 grossed $287 million on a $29 million budget, this doesn’t always make the sequel any better. After the first installment, fans all around the world anticipated the sequel only to end up disappointed or only somewhat satisfied.
The way the second movie ended, provided closure to fans that the franchise was now over. However, former director Elizabeth Banks gave Trish Sie the directing baton when PP3 was purely an idea. With a new director to direct the franchise, possibly the third installment won’t be a complete flop. But Jason Moore, who directed the first film, knew what he was doing and did a fantastic job executing such a great film that filled theaters across the country.
The plot for PP3 begins with the knowledge that all the girls have already graduated college, including Chloe (the three-time super senior), and they’ve all moved on from their acapella days in college. After the girls reunite at a bar, they talk about how they’re all struggling professionally. So they decide to travel to Europe and participate in a European tour with other acapella groups as well as competing groups with instruments.
Actress Ruby Rose is said to play the lead of the group involving instruments. But what stuns me the most is that this is an acapella movie, yet PP3 isn’t fully acapella.
What bothered me about the second film was that the singing wasn’t believable enough to be acapella. On top of that, the lip syncing wasn’t great. Rotten Tomatoes gives PP an 80 percent, while PP2 got a 66 percent.
Most of the fans who’ve watched the sequel would have to agree that it wasn’t the movie everyone had hoped for and it was a disappointment. Although it was great to see the cast together again, a third installment to the franchise seems unnecessary.