Critics Slam 'Pitch Perfect 3' As 'Aca-Awful'

Pitch Perfect 3 has been highly anticipated by fans of the first two films, but unlike its predecessors it is being slammed by critics as "aca-awful."

While the movie isn't out in wide-release as of yet, many critics have had a chance to watch it and they are not holding back on Rotten Tomatoes.

Courtney Howard from Fresh Fiction said, "Pitch Perfect 3 is aca-awful - and dangerously regressive with its views on female empowerment,"

Helen O'Hara of Empire Magazine wrote that it is "a tired retread of better jokes in the first two movies" and that it "drags along." She went on to say it does have a "heartwarming conclusion."

"Women deserve a better vehicle for demonstrating the power of female solidarity than this empty money grab," wrote Richard Larson of Slant, while Simon Thompson of IGN Movies claimed it "too often falls flat and feels off-key."

The biggest slam came from Alan Scherstuhl of the Village Voice, who said, "The Bellas aren't invested in the film's competition, and the filmmakers' aren't invested in it, and you probably won't be, either. So why bother even having one?"

Not all of the reviews have been scathing, however. Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly wrote that "the sheer nutty charisma of its sprawling cast still carries the series out on a pretty sweet high note," and Owen Gleiberman from Variety said, "The movie is bubbly, it's fast, it's hella synthetic-clever, and it's an avid showcase for the personalities of its stars..."

Currently the film holds a 41% rotten on the aggregation site, with the "Critics Consensus" reading: "Pitch Perfect 3 strains to recapture the magic that helped the original spawn a franchise, but ends up sending this increasingly unnecessary trilogy out on a low note."

Pitch Perfect 3 begins playing in theaters nationwide later this week.