Scary Movie 3
Starring: Anna Faris. Simon Rex, Charlie Sheen, Anthony Anderson, Jianna Ballard, Drew Misuska, Leslie Nielsen, Tim Stack
Studio: Miramax Home Entertainment
Scary Movie was a surprise hit in 2000, and it was no shock to anyone that the Wayans Bros would try to capitalize on it by pumping out a sequel a year later. I loved the first movie, so naturally the second one was exciting to hear about. To be honest, I couldn't get through the first 15 minutes. I tried more than once, and still have not been able to get through Scary Movie 2. As you can imagine, Scary Movie 3 wasn't exactly high on my list of things to see. I had avoided it like the plague, but when I had read that most of the cast had been replaced, and the Wayans had stepped out of the series, I had decided to give it a shot. (Note: I love the Wayans Bros. They're incredibly funny, but they really needed to leave this one alone after the first movie.) In any case, I was certainly glad I picked this one up.
Anna Faris returns as Cindy Campbell, the same character she plays in the other Scary Movies, but instead of being a high school or college kid, she's now a TV reporter with a kid. (It's not her kid, but her sister's kid or something... I don't know. This must have happened in Scary Movie 2.) In any case, she's a grown up now, and she's got another mystery to solve. Crop circles have been appearing near a farm (owned by spoof movie veteran Charlie Sheen), and there's this mysterious tape circulating that kills anyone who watches it. Cindy watched the tape, and now she's got seven days to link all the stuff together and stop the murders.
The plot was fairly thin, but fun. They spoofed several movies here, and if you haven't seen them, it's still OK. You just might not get some of the references. The one thing that surprisingly stood out here was the acting. Feris was as dopey as ever playing Cindy, but they brought a few new faces on board, such as Anthony Anderson and Queen Latifah. Perhaps the best actors though, were Charlie Sheen and Leslie Nielsen. These two men are no strangers to spoof movies, and they really helped hold this one together.
Overall, the movie was fun, and I didn't feel like turning it off while watching. Unlike Scary Movie 2, this one didn't resort to totally gross humor to keep things rolling. They had dopey characters and crazy dialogue, and that's a plus. It was a solid flick, and I actually enjoyed it.
Overall: 7.5/10
Additional Information:
Rating: PG-13
Run time: 90 minutes.
Released: 2003
DVD Special Features:
Alternate Ending
Outtakes and Bloopers
Deleted Scenes
Director's Commentary
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