Review: Scream 3 (2000)

SYNOPSIS: While “Stab 3” is in production, somebody in a ghost mask starts to murder the new cast members. This lures Sidney out from hiding deep in the woods where she lives, and she comes to Hollywood to face the killer for the final act. – via IMDB

Alright, alright, this was certainly the weakest Scream film so far. It just didn’t do things as well as its predecessors, which is a pity. Not to say that it was a total waste, there is still fun to be had, but definitely not on the same level as before. There are flaws, there are contrivances, there is so much useless screaming and not such snappy conversation… what a pity.

Courteney Cox’s hairdresser completely screwed up her hair. I mean whoa. Gale is this hot, tenacious reporter with very few qualms, sassy as can be and pretty hardcore. Then she’s back here, and she is all those things but that fringe. Goodness. It was like a horror movie all on its own! It really didn’t suit her or her character whatsoever.

This one certainly lacked the charm of the previous two. I appreciated what was being done here, though I was not a big fan of everything being “the movies” and “on set”. It was gimmicky and didn’t work for very long at all.

Neve Campbell returns as our reluctant heroine Sidney, and Scream 3 spends a little more time looking at her fractured psyche, as well as how she has locked herself away from the world, terrified and slowly dealing with things, but unwilling to be a part of the public eye anymore. Being dragged out because Ghostface is back was obviously inevitable, but the story really gets rolling when she steps in. I thoroughly enjoyed the throwbacks to seeing the set of Sidney’s home, the garage, etc. Those were nice little reminders, but some got overplayed and quickly. Our Randy Meeks got a little cameo, which was cool. We miss you Randy! But it also felt like it was squeezed in for those who raged about that terrible decision in the last film.

We have another cop here, which I am sure some ladies appreciated immensely. Patrick Dempsey plays Detective Mark Kincaid, the cop that is investigating the latest slew of murders, and who keeps Sidney at arms length while doing his job. I liked that not everybody pitied her out of hand, he was not for that. In his mind, she was a potential suspect, though he thaws later.

Something that I really miss? The “romance” of the phone calls has been lost, there are calls, but more often than not, like the last, it is more about slashing and killing than anything else.

Then let’s talk about Parker Posey – I don’t like her. I never have, and I don’t think I ever will. I find her to be such an annoyance in all movies and she always comes across as whiney, no matter that she is playing the bitch/ruler/whatever. This was no exception – she never shut up, she was entitled, and I feel that she did more harm for the film than she did good.

As for the big killer reveal at the end, sheesh. That was a whole different kettle of fish to fry. I mean Cotton was being dragged in here (again), but he honestly didn’t last very long at all.

I cannot skip over mentioning Dewey in this post because we all know I am a huge fan. He provided some humour again, and watching him and Gale dance around each other after their history was something else entirely, but I felt that he was wasted here, and they make it look like Dewey can have no life or respect without Gale, which is kinda sad.

Scream 3 was also plagued by ridiculously silly and cheesy, predictable deaths, which was a little bit of a letdown. But when all is said and done, I have seen infinitely worse movies, this one still had some redeeming aspects and fits in with the trilogy nicely.