This film was the first in the Tremors series I watched, like many films I loved growing up, it was introduced to me by my dad, about 14 years ago, this film and the other 3 had a big impact on my early years, and watching it now, through my more developed critical lens, I think this will be fun.
This film has easily the best intro sequence in the series so far, and one that got 6 year old me hooked on this film instantly, as Burt climbs into his anti aircraft cannon and lays waste to a heard of Shriekers. Of the 3 films in the series I've reviewed so far, this is by far the silliest, which makes a lot of the film's stranger elements right at home. One such element is Burt, who is completely insane in this film, it's clear that the Graboids have completely consumed his life, with his compound surrounded by steal reinforced concrete graboid barriers, and his installing seismo's all over the valley to form a sort of Graboid alert grid. he's at his most cartoony here too, showing up at the beginning with military overalls and an army beret, constantly armed with shades and often accompanied by trumpets, is it any wonder that 6 year old me thought this guy was some kind of god. he, and for that matter, this film is also the funniest in the series, with some good laughs coming from Burt, his interactions with the valley residents and the government agents come to end his Graboid hunt. But while Burt is a complete badass, he's the only character that's particularly interesting, Jack is just Jack, he's big into the zen and chi and other such spiritual nonsense, but the persona he puts on for his Graboid safaris is downright annoying, and while Burt is regularly producing laughs, he isn't as funny, he can be summed up really by his name, Jack, not very unique or interesting, he's just Jack. Jodi is more interesting, Walter from the first film's niece, she's in Perfection to claim what she thinks is her family's claim to fame, being among the first people to discover Graboids, and she has build a business off of Graboid merchandise. as you'd expect, a romance starts to blossom with her and Jack, and if you think that's a spoiler, it's really not. while I've generally been a bit harsh to romances in the Tremors series so far, this is the least invasive or bolted on feeling romance, it's also the flattest, which is probably the reason. it's about as rich and interesting as the flavour of paper, it's not very well done. Miguel's back from the first film, and apart from becoming seemingly more Mexican, he's the same character he was in the first film. Melvin's back too, and while I like what they've done with his character, I fucking hate him, you're supposed to though, so good job film. Mindy and her mum are also back, but to be honest, I really don't like them in this film, while the mum's bearable, Mindy is just plain annoying, just a moody, statement obsessed teen, most fascinating. I've been a bit unkind to he supporting cast, but to be fair, Burt, Jobi and Jack are pretty much our mains, and Burt's awesome, and Jodie and Jack are serviceable, so the hateable supporting cast ends up being kind of irrelevant in the end. Plot wise, this is also the silliest so far, with the government getting involved and wanting to research the Graboids, and a new monster I'll get to in a second, as well as the characters.
While Tremors 2 was also a Direct-to-video film, this is the one of the 2 that really shows it, with a heavier reliance on CG than Tremors 2, CG that looks worse than the CG from Tremors 2 too. it actually bothers me how much CG was used in this film, and how bad a lot of it looks, for example, El Blanco, one of the Graboids in this film, is usually portrayed with CG, and it looks crap. But the times when props are used, and when they don't reuse footage from the first Tremors, the props aren't even all that good, the Groboids and the new monsters just look robotic when props are used, it's just not convincing. The new monsters are called Ass Blasters, yep, that's the name they give them, and in addition to having a really stupid name, they're just stupid things. They are cooler looking than Shriekers, being bigger and meaner looking, and they can fly as well, which I would be able to get if they didn't propel themselves with their farts, again yep, they're called Ass Blasters, and they launch themselves into the air by lighting their farts, if that doesn't sound stupid, I don't know what to tell you. so all in all, I don't like the Ass Blasters, and funnily enough, 6 year old me agrees, he didn't like them that much either, though obviously more than current me. So, the special effects are pretty shit across the board, and the new monsters are really stupid, any redeeming features? thankfully, yes. Like I said at the start of the review, the film opens with an awesome mass murder sequence with an anti aircraft cannon, but this film is riddled with some really cool sequences, 3 in particular, the final battle with the Ass Blasters in a scrap yard, a sequence when an Ass Blaster breaks into Burt's compound, that ends in easily the film's biggest laugh, and a 3rd I won't spoil, other than it involved Burt's Graboid barrier, and a chainsaw. this is a very fun film throughout in all honesty, whether it be because the film is genuinely fun or funny, or if it's just being so stupid and shit that you can't help but laugh, I can't say I didn't have a lot of fun watching this film, even now as a young adult, because I'd be lying, it's so much fun to watch.
Tremors 3 is a strange beast, some elements really work, like some of it's comedy, Burt and all that surrounds him, and the interesting take on the Graboids this film does. Other things sort of work, like Jack and Jodi, Miguel, and the government element. but then there are some things that don't work at all, like the Ass Blasters, and the often terrible special effects. But then the film makes up for that with how stupidly fun it is, with fun action sequences, some really good laughs, and just a fun tone overall, regardless of whether you're laughing with or at this mess. I still had a lot of fun with Tremors 3, and with all its glaring, hideous flaws, I'd still recommend it, just don't expect a very, what's the word, good movie going in, expect something stupid, cheesy and fun, worth a watch for sure.
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