There was a time when director David Zucker of the Zucker Bros. comedies ("Kentucky Fried Movie," "Airplane") knew how to string together a bunch of ridiculous references and sight gags such that they bore some resemblance to well-considered if not bright comedy. Perhaps he's lost his touch, or perhaps this populist form of satire has become too inbred. What's certainly true is that the audience for these films doesn't require a moment of coherence or real humor. This is, after all, the third film in the series, and if the previous box-office receipts are any measure, the inane foolishness is only just beginning. Now that's scary. Starring Anna Faris, Charlie Sheen, Simon Rex, Anthony Anderson, Pamela Anderson, Jenny McCarthy, Darrell Hammond, Queen Latifah, Eddie Griffin and Leslie Nielsen. Directed by David Zucker. Written Craig Mazin and Pat Proft. Produced Robert K. Weiss. A Miramax release. Comedy. Rated PG-13 for pervasive crude and sexual humor. Running time: 90 min
Scary Movie 3
It is, one supposes, pointless to describe any
of the films in the "Scary Movie" series as
stupid; they're supposed to be stupid. On the
other hand, there's stupid, and then there's
nonsensically stupid. "Scary Movie 3" is
absolutely nonsensical. It is internally
inconsistent, which, when applied to such a
pointless movie, is actually a wasted criticism
that borders on the nonsensical itself.
Nevertheless, it's true. For instance, the point
of the "Scary Movie" series is to make fun of
scary movies by mocking their familiar
archetypes. The films at the center of "SM3"
include "The Ring," a creepy horror/thriller;
"Signs," the existential alien invasion movie by
director M. Night Shyamalan which is only
scary in concept; and that horror classic "8
Mile," about a white kid who wants to be a
hip-hop star. Eminem hanging out with a
bunch of thugs notwithstanding, "8 Mile" isn't a
scary movie, and neither for that matter is "The
Matrix," which is also parodied, along with a
few comedies and dramas even more
unrelated to the spoofed genre at hand. This
makes no sense, but neither do most of the
bits in "SM3."
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