Pitch Perfect 3

This franchise peaked with the first film, but despite its tone problems, this final movie is worth seeing for fans who can't get enough of the Bellas (and for moviegoers who enjoy musical numbers). Pitch Perfect 3 is really just an excuse to get this diverse squad of actresses together to sing together one last time. Their bubbly a cappella renditions of pop classics are difficult to resist, even though the plot is razor thin and doesn't make it easy to even root for the ladies. First, nepotism is what grants them a spot performing and competing against more established musicians. Second, all of the 20-something women besides Beca (who quits her job as a music producer after a humorous confrontation with a young rapper) and Amy (who barely makes a living with her "Fat Amy Winehouse" one-woman show) are actually fine in the real world. They just want to hang with their college squad again.

Although the movie isn't without its funny, crowd-pleasing moments, it's hard to root for the former Barden Bellas when, as Beca admits to Theo, they just "sing for fun." In that way, they're not at all on the level of the three far more serious acts on the USO tour. Even their rivals aren't particularly mean, with the exception of Calamity (Ruby Rose) from Ever Moist. As for Amy's father issues, they lead to an off-putting subplot, while Aubrey's daddy problems are magically fixed by the end of the movie. Yes, it's fun to watch these Bellas sing again, but it's clear this is a farewell. The Glee zeitgeist that helped make the original such a cultural phenomenon may be over, but goodwill for this ensemble should go far enough to bring tween and teen girls to the movies one more time.