The Bellas are back in this hilarious third/final installment of the Pitch Perfect franchise. The film opens with a mysterious, explosive action sequence before jumping back to the present. It has been a couple years since the events of the previous film. The Bellas are all out of college and trying to make their way in the real world, though with limited success. Beca (Anna Kendrick) and Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) are once again single. Beca is struggling to launch her career as a music producer, and suddenly finds herself unemployed. Fat Amy is also seeing little success from her one-woman shows, which include a tribute called Fat Amy Winehouse. The other Bellas are also struggling to make it in the real world. So when Aubrey’s (Anna Camp) father arranges for the Bellas to get a spot performing on the USO tour, the women all jump at the chance to sing together again. The Barden grads are joined by current Bella Emily (Hailee Steinfeld), and head off to Europe to kick start the tour.

When the women arrive at the military base, they learn that DJ Khalid will be choosing one of the four groups performing on the tour to open for him at the end of the tour. The Bellas, who always love a good competition, feel right in their element. They meet the other acts—female rockers EverMoist, country band Saddle Up (played by group Whiskey Shivers), and hip hop pair Young Sparrow (Trinidad James) & DJ Dragon Nutz (DJ Looney)—and initiate one of their usual riff offs as an icebreaker. However, the Bellas soon discover they are once again the underdogs of the competition—these other groups are all amazing, and all play instruments. And to add to their frustration, the Bellas also learn that sarcastic Talk-a-pella podcasters Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins) have also joined the tour. The pair have been following the Bellas for the past two years filming a d’aca’mentary series on the Barden Bellas, and the Bellas winning this USO competition would make the perfect ending for their series.

Pitch Perfect 3 is a delightful and welcome addition to the franchise, which provides some nice closure to these characters we’ve loved over the years. I’ve watched this film three times now due to the various commentaries on this 4K Ultra HD release, and I found myself fully entertained and amused every time. This third installment brings back all of the Bellas, as well as many of the elements/forumla that made the first two films so much fun—great musical performances (both original songs and covers), a singing competition at the core, the signature riff off, and lots of humor. We still get some great a cappella performances by the Bellas, but the musical spectrum is broadened this time around to include instruments and new musical styles like country, rock and hip hop.

This third film also expands the franchise from romantic-comedy to action-comedy. The film opens with an explosive pre-credits sequence that is re-visited in the final act of the film. Who knew that Rebel Wilson could be such an amazing action star?! What she does in this film is quite impressive! While much of the film focuses on Beca and Fat Amy, each of the Bellas is given her own storyline, exploring some personal struggle she is trying to overcome. The film does a great job of making us care about each member of the group (except maybe Jessica & Ashley), and we learn a lot about Fat Amy’s backstory. Over the course of the film, we see why this group has remained friends and while they always will. There are also a lot of fun guest stars and cameos throughout the film, including a wonderful performance by John Lithgow.

Universal’s 4K Ultra HD release looks and sounds excellent. The video presentation is beautiful, providing a crisp, clean picture. The Blu-ray already looks quite nice, but even more sharpness and detail can be seen in the UHD version when compared with its Blu-ray counterpart. The darker nighttime scenes as well as brighter daytime scenes both benefit from this increase in detail. The color palette is also a lot richer in the UHD version, enhancing both the colorful, glitzy costumes in the musical performance sequences, as well as the breathtaking, scenic European landscapes. This release includes the same impressive DTS:X soundtrack on both resolutions. You can really feel the rumbling of the explosive pre-credits sequence, and hear the explosions overhead. The musical performances sound phenomenal, and the cheers of the crowd surround you, making you feel like you are right there watching the Bellas and other acts perform on the stage. In addition, the dialogue remains clear and easy to understand. As far as the bonus material, both the UHD and the Blu-ray disc contain the same two audio commentaries. However, the rest of the supplemental material only appears on the Blu-ray disc. This includes five new and/or uncut musical performances, a deleted scene, a gag reel, and over 35 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

The 4K Ultra HD release comes packed in a standard UHD keepcase along with a cardboard slipcover. Inside is the digital copy redemption instructions (the digital copy redeems in UHD format) as well as a code for a bonus digital film.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:33:03)

4K Ultra HD:

• 2160p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• HDR10
• Audio: English DTS:X, Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
• Audio: English DTS:X, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish DTS-HD High Resolution Audio 7.1, French DTS Digital Surround 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital HD (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• Digital Copy
  The included Digital copy redeems in UHD. The universalredeem.com redemption site redirects to Movies Anywhere for redemption.
• Bonus Digital Movie (Redemption Deadline 9/16/2018)
  Additional bonus digital movie redeemable at www.upherewards.com. The list of available titles currently includes Big Miracle, Midway, 5 Flights Up, Doom, Born on the Fourth of July and Sudden Death, but these are due to change around the release date of this Blu-ray.

Extras:
The bonus features are only included on the Blu-ray Disc, except for the audio commentaries, which appear on both discs.

• New Musical Performances (4:24)
  Pair of musical performances that didn’t make it into the final cut of the movie. Play All, or select from:
  • Fat Amy & Fergus Casino Duet (2:38)
    Fat Amy and Fergus sing a mash-up of “Hard For Me To Say I’m Sorry” and “Don’t Speak”.
  • The Bellas: “See You Smile” Lullaby (1:45)
    The Bellas sing an original lullaby written by Emily to calm a crying baby.
• Extended Musical Performances (8:50)
  The full, uncut USO performances by the other teams competing with the Bellas. Play All or select from:
  • Evermoist: “How a Heart Unbreaks” (3:55)
  • Young Sparrow / DJ Dragon Nutz: “You Got It” (1:56)
  • Saddle Up: “Ex’s and Oh’s” (2:59)
• Deleted Scene: Aubrey at Amy’s Hotel Door (1:01)
  Amy, paranoid from her recent meeting with her father, talks with Aubrey through a chained hotel room door.
• Gag Reel (3:22)
  There are lots of giggles in this gag reel as the cast members flub lines, crack each other up, and just have fun on set.
• Competition Crescendo (6:37)
  The cast and filmmakers take a look at the Bellas’ competition: EverMoist, Saddle Up, and Young Sparrow & DJ Dragon Nutz, in this behind-the-scenes look at the riff off scene, from the pre-production in the recording studio to filming the singers on set. Participants include director Trish Sie, producer Elizabeth Banks (“Gail”), stars DJ Looney (“DJ Dragon Nutz”), Trinidad James (“Young Sparrow”), Brittany Snow (“Chloe”), Ruby Rose (“Calamity”), Venzella Joy Williams (“Charity”), Rebel Wilson (“Fat Amy”), Anna Kedrick (“Beca”), Hailee Steinfeld (“Emily”), Hana Mae Lee (“Lilly”), and Chrissie Fit (“Flo”), and “Saddle Up”/Whiskey Shivers members Robert Fitzgerald and James Bookert.
• A Cappella Action (3:15)
  A behind-the-scenes look at the action sequence that opens/closes the film. Participants include director Trish Sie, vocal arranger/producer Ed Boyer, production designer Toby Corbett, assistant choreographer Kyndra “Binkie” Reevey, choreographer Aakomon “AJ” Jones, and stars Anna Camp (“Aubrey”), Ester Dean (“Cynthia Rose”), Hailee Steinfeld, John Lithgow (“Fergus”), Hana Mae Lee, and Brittany Snow.
• The Women of Pitch Perfect 3 (4:21)
  The cast and crew talk about working with a female cast and director, and the theme of girl power. Participants include producers Max Handelman, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Brooks, director Trish Sie, executive producer David Nicksay, and stars Anna Camp, Kelley Jake (“Jessica”), Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Chrissie Fit, Shelley Regner (“Ashley”), Hailee Steinfeld, Rebel Wilson, and Ester Dean.
• Don’t Mess with Rebel (4:27)
  A behind-the-scenes look at Rebel Wilson’s training and stunt scenes. Participants include director Trish Sie, producers Max Handelman, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Brooks, stunt coordinator Jennifer Badger, and stars Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, and Anna Kendrick.
• The Headliner: DJ Khaled (3:01)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about working with the famous music producer/personality. Participants include producer Max Handelman, director Trish Sie, DJ Khaled, and stars Rebel Wilson, Ruby Rose, Brittany Snow, Chrissie Fit, and Ester Dean.
• The Final Note: John and Gail (2:22)
  A discussion of everyone’s favorite Talk-a-pella podcasters-turned d’aca’mentarians, Gail and John, and a look behind-the-scenes at some of their outtakes. Participants include Elizabeth Banks, John Michael Higgins (“John”), Anna Camp, and Hailee Steinfeld.
• Just Because He’s a Bad Guy… (1:54)
  A behind-the-scenes look at John Lithgow on set. Participants include Rebel Wilson, John Lithgow, and Anna Kendrick.
• The Final Performance (4:30)
  A behind-the-scenes look at the emotional final performance by the Bellas and wrapping of production. Participants include director Trish Sie, production designer Toby Corbett, costume designer Salvador Perez, producer Paul Brooks, vocal arranger/producer Ed Boyer, and stars Anna Camp, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, and Anna Kendrick.
• “Freedom! ’90 X Cups” Official Music Video (2:36)
  Official music video for the film’s big final song, featuring the Bellas and other musical guests.
• Hollywood of the South (2:28)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about filming in Atlanta. Participants include director Trish Sie, producers Max Handelman, Elizabeth Banks and Paul Brooks, production designer Toby Corbett, and stars Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Shelley Regner, Aakomon “AJ” Jones, and Hana Mae Lee.
• Feature Commentary with Director Trish Sie (1:33:02)
  The film’s director provides an entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film, talking about the cast and locations, and explaining some of the production choices and decisions. She shares a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes stories, and points out references and callbacks to previous installments of the franchise.
• Feature Commentary with Producers Paul Brooks & Max Handelman (1:33:02)
  Two of the film’s producers provide commentary throughout the film. While this commentary wasn’t as good as the first one, the men do provide some interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes, though some of the information is a bit repetitive of the first commentary. They also try to avoid spoilers at times when talking about the plot, which makes no sense because no one is going to watch the film with the commentary before seeing it without! The men make reference to Elizabeth Banks being ill and unable to participate—I think this commentary would have been so much more entertaining had she been able to participate.

Final Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed this third/final installment of the Pitch Perfect franchise, which reunites all of the Bellas we loved from the first two films for a brand new adventure that feels both fresh and familiar at the same time. Pitch Perfect 3 not only captures the same fun and spirit of the first two films, but also adds an exciting action element. There are lots of laughs, some great new characters, and a lot of excellent musical performances—a mix of covers and original songs across a variety of musical genres. The 4K Ultra HD presentation looks and sounds excellent, and the release includes a solid selection of bonus features that are sure to please fans. It’s sad to see the Bellas go—I would happily keep on watching more films set in this universe—but at least they go out on a perfect note. This release comes highly recommended for both fans of the franchise as well as those just looking for a really fun comedy.