Could be Worse

Scary Movie 2 was GARBAGE, one of the worst things I've seen in a long time. It was rude and offensive and while its predecessor wasn't exactly high cinema, it was at least funny, and there was a novelty to some of the gross-out jokes. Repeating the SAME jokes did NOTHING for the sequel, and there's a limit to how many gallons of various bodily fluids anyone can bear to watch spewing from various orifices. Did I call this movie GARBAGE yet?

I didn't have high hopes for Scary Movie 3 but had rented both sequels, and so was committed. Apparently the second one was SO bad, it was IMPOSSIBLE for the series to get any worse. The third one then had some pleasant surprises. First and foremost among these was the presence of David Zucker as director. I loved stuff like Airplane and The Naked Gun growing up and as this movie unfolded, it promised THAT style of spoof I liked. The thing that works best with his comedies isn't the outrageous situations and unlikely plots alone, but how SERIOUS all the actors play their scenes. Leslie Nielsen is a MASTER at saying wacky things with the utmost sincerity, so even some of his worst work can still squeeze a smile or two from the audience. Shawn and Marlon are the weaker of the Wayans brothers and vehicles their older brothers let them drive tend to veer off into juvenile stupidity. I am in no hurry to see White Chicks, as much as the “Yo, hold my poodle, DAWG!” line cracks me up in the trailer. The point is, I didn't miss them in SM3.

Anna Faris was still there and stronger than ever as the dimwitted wide-eyed female lead. Figuratively, I see her as Nielsen's comedic granddaughter. The girl has potential. There's a bevy of actors too numerous to mention here, but they each get a chance to shine. An impromptu beer commercial spoof led by Tim Stack is just one of many of these moments; George Carlin's rendition of a vocabulary-heavy dialogue spoofing a recent Sci Fi sequel was another that had me rolling. Overall the plot is a clever amalgamation of The Ring and Signs, but the film works in an impressive number of references to other films outside the horror genre. The 8 Mile sequence alone is worth the price of rental as were appearances by nearly every major rap artist popular at this time. Deleted scenes reveal an overextended ending that shoehorns in a Hulk sequence and a longer Matrix sequence, including the obligatory burly brawl. Parts of it are funny but this sort of humor works best with surgical strikes, hitting the punchline and moving on. Drawing out a sketch is a shortcoming best reserved for SNL; I'd say the theatrical cut was the right choice.

If you enjoyed any of the other Zucker movies you'll definitely appreciate this one, especially if you've seen the films it lampoons. There's no continuity in the Scary Movie franchise, so SM2 can safely be skipped. Much like my DSL connection which I've FINALLY sort of got working after talking with tech support and doing some work around here today, Scary Movie 3 could be worse....