The Barden Bellas have officially graduated college and are off working various jobs apart from each other. However, an opportunity soon arises for them to sing on a tour back together again and compete for a spot to open for DJ Khaled.

Like the other Pitch Perfect films, there are many twists and turns on the Bellas’ road to stardom. They are met with fierce competition and the unexpected arrival of Fat Amy’s criminal father. Fat Amy’s father knows of a bank account set aside for her and tries to gain her trust in order to gain access to that account.

When Fat Amy realizes his intentions, she cuts off all communication with him, but he then captures the Bellas as hostages on his yacht. Fat Amy and Beca are the only two Bellas not captured, so it is then up to them to save their friends and get back to the tour.

As expected for a Pitch Perfect film, the story featured a lot of great vocals and songs. Unexpectedly, however, the storyline was much darker than audiences might anticipate with its unique storyline.

The film was enjoyable but did not live up to the last two Pitch Perfect films. None of the Treble Makers were featured, which is a disappointment, and the new cast of male characters was not as entertaining or charming as in the previous two movies.

Nevertheless, the film is worthwhile to see in theaters over the holidays. It is fun and has some hilarious quotes, but viewers shouldn’t go in expecting the same level of entertainment that they received from watching the original Pitch Perfect. This film definitely did not follow a typical Pitch Perfect storyline and certainly was not cast the way I would have expected. The changes were acceptable, but they did not match Pitch Perfect’s usual brand. One pleasant surprise was some unexpected cast members which included Ruby Rose from “Orange is the New Black” and legendary actor John Lithgow.

Audiences will walk away pleased with the film, but they won’t have the same perception of it as the previous two films.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures