Movie Review: Scream 3

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Some good laughs and thrills

Cons: Not as sharply written as the first two

The Bottom Line:

Ghostface back again

The writing could be sharper

But I enjoy it

So Stab Me, I Like Scream 3

I have never been one to let other's opinions dictate my own.  And if you want proof, just take a look at many of my reviews.  And here's another example for you.  I may be one of the few people on the planet, but I actually enjoy Scream 3.  True, it's not as good as the first or even the sequel.  But it still entertains me.

In the aftermath of the second round of killings, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) has retreated to a house in the middle of nowhere and works as a phone counselor.  But her life is about to be shaken up once again when a new round of killings begin.  At first she tries to ignore them, but when the killer calls her at home, she realizes she has no choice.

The new round of killings seem to be centered around the production of Stab 3.  As the cast begins to fear for their lives, Sidney teams up with Gale Weather s (Courtney Cox Arquette) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette).  Why is the killer leaving pictures of Sid's mother on the victims?  Who will survive the latest blood bath?

This film certainly has its detractors, and they make some good points.  Original scribe Kevin Williamson didn't return this time around, and the script misses his brand of sarcasm.  Neve Campbell wasn't that keen to come back, so they cut a deal where she only had to be there for 20 days of filming.  Since the franchise has always been about her character, that also hurts things.

Given those handicaps, this movie actually turns out pretty good.  They make the most of Neve's time, so her character is still involved in the story in some important ways.  Most of the deaths aren't that special or imaginative, but they are well filmed.  And some of the scenes are downright creepy.

And I still find humor in the piece.  Many of the jokes are fairly obvious, but they still work for me.  Of course, I also enjoy the skewering they give Hollywood and celebrity culture, so that helps.  The video cameo is absolutely my favorite part of the movie.  In fact, one line made me laugh so much when I saw this in the theater, I actually made the rest of the audience laugh at me laughing at the movie.

I'll admit I thought the story was a bit out there the first time I watched it, but on subsequent viewings, I've come to appreciate it a bit more.  There are still a couple of plot holes, like the dream sequence, but we're talking about a slasher movie here.  Taken as part of a trilogy, the ending is a bit of a cheat, but if you look at this movie and what it was doing, it actually works quite well.

They don't seem to have as many new big names in the cast this time around as they have in previous movies.  Patrick Warburton makes a memorable security guard.  Jay and Silent Bob have cameos, although the best cameo goes to Carrie Fisher.  The biggest surprise to me was Patrick Dempsey as one of the detectives investigating the murders.

But just because I don't recognize as many names doesn't mean the acting has suffered.  Yes, it is a bit more over the top at times, but it's still believable.  The three leads are by far the best, but I have it give a special shout out to Parker Posey, the actress playing Gale in Stab 3.  Even when she is overreacting to things, she is spot on funny.  Her scenes are some of the best in the film.

While the violence and language have been toned down some, this is still an R rated movie.  View accordingly.

I know I will always be in the minority on this one, but I will continue to enjoy Scream 3 when looking to round out my viewing of this horror franchise.  It may not be the best of the series, but it is still entertaining.