Customer Reviews

Scary Movie 3

5 star:		(96)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(41)

 

 

I wondered when I watched the trailer for Scary Movie 3 why I was laughing so hard. Sure I enjoyed the first two films, but they seemed... amateurish. Yeah, I know the entire series is nothing but crass, low-brow humor, but that trailer was SO funny. I found myself on the Internet Movie Database (http://www.imdb.com) trying to figure it out. Much to my surprise, I found David Zucker (one of the three masterminds behind Airplane!) directing and writing AND Kevin Smith producing and writing the film. Zounds!

I don't know why or how the Wayans brothers aren't involved, but frankly it's for the better. The movie is absolutely hilarious. Oh sure, there are jokes so obvious they are like seeing a jumbo jet landing in your front yard, but there are also enough surprises that catch you off guard to more than make up for that.

The "plot" purees The Ring, Signs and Eight Mile into a mismatch of parody and slap-stick well enough that you wish the Zuckers and Jim Abrahams would get back together and come up with one more. This is mostly for two scenes that sustain laughs so long they actually hurt. Don't get me wrong. This nothing more than stupid, sophomoric humor, but when in the hands of talented comedic film makers, it becomes a film that demands repeated viewings much like Airplane! and Top Secret. In other words, a laugh riot.

Here's another Scary Movie sequel, but this time neither Wayans brother returns.

Scary Movie 3 is a hilarious movie starring returning castmembers Anna Faris (Lost In Translation) and Regina Hall, along with an incredible supporting cast including Charlie Sheen (Hot Shots), Leslie Neilsen (Airplane!), Anthony Anderson (Me Myself And Irene), and many others.

The film spoofs many recently popular horror films like The Ring, The Others, and Signs, while at the same time taking on other films like 8 Mile and The Truman Show.

Watch out for cameo appearances by Macy Gray, Ja Rule, American Idol's Simon Cowell, Queen Latifah, Eddie Griffin, Jeremy Piven as the whacky news broadcaster Ross Giggins, and a Michael Jackson look-alike.

Recommended

B

Loosely based on the summer blockbuster movies The Ring and Signs, and strangely enough, the Eminem film, 8 Mile, Scary Movie 3 provides more of the toilet humour and juvenile laughs that we have come to expect from this series. Unfortunately though, this installment is pretty light on the laughs. The first two movies were actually funny and clever, and although they were unashamedly audacious in their tackiness, there was a kind of enduring honesty to them that left the viewer chuckling for more. When watching Scary Movie 3, the viewer is more likely to be laughing in embarrassment, and wondering why Hollywood could malign and continue a franchise that has become so obviously tired.

If you've seen Signs or The Ring, you'll have a pretty good idea of the plot of Scary Movie 3. Like in the previous Scary Movies, lead actress Anna Faris is back as Cindy Campbell. This time, she's dropped into the middle of a combination alien invasion/ghost story. After watching a killer video tape, she has only seven days to live, and, in that time, she has to stop a deranged ghost living in a well, fall in love with a white, self-doubting rapper named George played by a bumbling Simon Rex, and help the President - a tired, embarrassed looking Leslie Nielsen - stymie an invasion by aliens who have a fondness for the corn field of a minister-turned-farmer, played by the desperate Charlie Sheen. Along the way, Denise Richards, Queen Latifa, and Camryn Manhem, Simon Cowell, and the big-breasted Pamela Anderson pop in for a visit.

Anna Faris is her usual perky, big-eyed self, Charlie Sheen appears somewhat ashamed to be in this rubbish, and Simon Rex is probably the unlikeliest and most unlikable love interest one will ever see in a movie. Then there's the sad case of 77-year old Leslie Nielsen, as a bumbling lame-duck president who spends his limited screen time trying to re-create the kind of comedic bumbling that became his meat-and-potatoes when he re-invigorated his career in the '80s. Now, this routine is tired, repetitious, and devoid of energy - which is a pretty good way to describe the movie as a whole.

Absent for this third installment are the Wayans Brothers who are replaced by David Zucker and his scribe-for-hire, Pat Proft, which is unfortunate because it is the Wayans Brothers gift for irreverent humour, that made the first two so funny, even though they were bordering on the offensive. There are about three or four genuine laughs in Scary Movie 3, and a lot of failed jokes in between. The comedy is lame and flaccid with characters that are either constantly falling over or bumping into things and there's a child that is continually hit by a car and thrown out a window. There's also some gross-out material and various indignities are performed on a corpse. The weaving together of the primary three storylines is done awkwardly, and the narrative is fractured and hard to follow. With so much of the humor failing, it becomes increasingly obvious that there's not much of a storyline to fall back on, and that makes Scary Movie 3 a gigantic waste of time and almost unwatchable. Mike Leonard July 04.

"Scary Movie 3" parodies a number of scare flicks. Viewer who have seen certain movies, such as "Signs", "The Ring", and "The Matrix", will better understand some of the jokes and sight gags around which the thin story line revolves. Unfortunately, the film loses some of its focus, as it digresses into a parody of Eminem's film "8 Mile", which is not a scary movie. Still, the movie has an impressive cast, boasting such luminaries as Pamela Anderson and her pneumatic breasts, Jenny McCarthy, Charlie Sheen, Camryn Manheim, Jeremy Piven, Anna Faris, Simon Rex, George Carlin, Queen Latifah, Leslie Nielsen, Simon Cowell (as himself), and a whole slew of music stars, including Macy Gray ( as herself).

The plot line is quite thin, however, as it revolves around a cute, air headed reporter, Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris), who is interested in the crop circles found on the farm of a former clergyman named Tom (Charlie Sheen), who lives on the farm with his brother, George (Simon Rex), a budding would be rapper. Cindy believes that the aliens who made the crop circles have a connection to a mysterious video tape that ensures the death of its viewer within seven days. The President of the United States (Leslie Nielsen) becomes involved in this falderal, when alien invasion seems imminent.

This movie is not for everyone. It has some really funny moments, such as Simon Cowell's turn as a music critic in a rap club, where he finally gets his just desserts. Queen Latifah is terrific as "The Oracle", as is George Carlin as "The Architect". Leslie Nielsen reigns supreme as our daffy president. The interjection of a Michael Jackson look-a-like is pretty funny, though I am sure Michael Jackson himself would disagree, as the pedophile innuendo is, indeed, a little jarring. One of the children in the film, Cody (Drew Mikuska), who has a number of funny moments due to his ability to read minds, is likewise subject to a lot of outright physical violence in the movie, a concept that I found very disturbing and not at all funny.

There is, however, quite a bit of slapstick and a lot of sight gags. Everything is fair game. I think that the movie would have been a lot better had it kept its original focus and not digressed into a parody of "8 Mile", as it diluted the premise of the film. This film is almost as funny as the first Scary Movie and funnier than the second one, though that is not saying much. Everyone gives excellent performances. The problem with the film is that it ends up being neither fish nor fowl. So, it ultimately is not as good as it should have been, given the cast with which it is blessed.

The DVD has excellent audio and visuals. It provides the usual film commentary, as well as quite a number of deleted scenes with commentary. There is also an alternate ending in which a parody of the Hulk is interjected. All I can say is that it is a good thing that another ending was filmed. The bottom line is that one should rent this film before buying it.

i won't lie when the wayans bros. quiet directing these movies they kinda got lame. but i still find them funny as hell and scary movie 3 is funny as hell

Another form of silly entertainment that works. The movie is fun, with an actually storyline which anyone can find amusing. Another movie to make us laugh- good job.
The sequels contine to amuse, along with a good cast of actors.

This movie was very dissapointing. First off shorty wasn't in it which is one of the wayne's brother's. Actually there are only two people in it who were from scary movie one and two. Cindy and her friend. The movie is basically a knock off of the Ring. They picked up some horrible actors for this movie. The little kid was kind of stupid. There are some jokes and humor spread out through the movie but it just doesn't match tho Scary movie one and two. Also they changed the rating from rated R to PG-13, which is kind of sad because they can't have the funny humor and hilarious parts from the previous movie in it. This is way more family safe. If you liked scary movie one and two you might like this. For the people who haven't seen scary movie one and two go see those instead, unless you can't then see this but beware it's not that good.

The sort of humor in this film will appeal to some (mostly adolescents). If this is your type of movie, by all means, "get it". There is a time and place for everything.

However, for me, it is tired with a series of stale jokes and little originality. I found the first spoofs interesting and novel (i.e. Airport, Naked Gun, etc.). By this time the novelty has worn off and they have been done to death (pun intended).

Well, not exactly a zero. I admit, the crude, and often, sexual, humor of the Wayan Brothers always brings a laugh out of me. But unfortunately for the third movie of the "Scary Movie" series, this one is by far, the worst. As with most movies and series, the quality just keeps going down... and "Scary Movie 3" is not an exception.

"Scary Movie 3" uses "The Ring" and "Signs" as the main themes of the third installment. The beginning of the movie is exactly like the beginning of "The Ring" with Pamela Lee Anderson and Jenny McCarthy. It was pretty hilarious to watch, as also what the Scary Movies do is point out questionable and often, stupid, aspects of the movies that they are portraying.

Charlie Sheen and Simon Rex are two of the main characters in this movie, with the theme of "Signs". Sheen is an ex-priest living on a farm with his wanna-be rapper brother, Rex. Faris returns as the leading character in the film, as a news reporter. She represents Naomi Watts' character in "The Ring" who is a newspaper reporter trying to find out about the mystery of the videotape. Regina Hall also re-appears as Faris' good friend, who is now a teacher. There are cameos by Queen Latifah, George Carlin, Eddie Griffin, Denise Richards, and Leslie Nielson (Gun 1 1/2), are some of the actors/actresses that appear in the movie.

With ideas from "The Sixth Sense", Faris' nephew has an extrasensory sense that gives him the ability to see and know things that other people do not. Also, there is a part of the movie that uses "The Others". Rex's character portrays Eminem in "8 Mile", with a MC battle scene. It also uses ideas from "The Matrix Reloaded", with Queen Latifah as the Oracle and Eddie Griffin as Morpheus.

Faris' character begins investigating the mystery of the crop circles that appear in Sheen's field, and she discovers a mysterious tape that "kills" people. The story unfolds, character's stories are told, and aliens land on earth...

The movie had its funny parts, but most of it was corny and typical as they come, much like stale popcorn you get at the theatre. Most of the crude, sexual humor that made "Scary Movie" so popular is not there as much and neither is the signature "release" scene, which I was looking forward to but got disappointed when I found out there was no such scene in this one.

My advice would have been to keep it the crude, sexual humor that made the two predecessors so popular, and keep away from the corniness. Keenan Ivory Wayans apparently rushed the filming of this movie, wanting to complete it as soon as possible. It shows, very strongly, in the movie. Instead of making it even funnier, all they added was more cameos or eye candy, to keep the audience entertained. I'm sorry, but I did not take it.

I didn't bother to watch any extras but the alternate ending. It was a good thing that they didn't use this as the real ending, it was twice as corny. Rex turns into the Hulk, and Faris goes into the Matrix...

For any Scary Movie fans, it's something to watch, it's entertaining enough. But if you haven't watched any Scary Movies yet, I would recommend watching the movie in order. It also helps to make sense between the first and second one. I also noticed that there is no connection between the first two movies and the third one, except the return of Faris's and Hall's characters.

Without the infamous Waynes borthers, I found this movie a bit boring. Tired plot with only two spoofs of The Ring and Signs. The plot was too thin, the comedy was trite, and the whole movie was a waste of time. Besides the fact that there was a few laughs to have, the line up of stars was the only thing to look forward to. I suggest to anyone who has seen the first and sequel to this movie, don't hold your breath waiting to laugh..it isn't there.