Scary Movie 3

Reviewed by Rich Drees

     Have you ever heard a joke told so many times, that it ceases to be funny anymore? Keeping things fresh without changing things too much is the problem that faces many comedy franchises these days. Sometimes bring in new blood both behind and in front of the camera can create new energy that reinvigorates the franchise. Sometimes not.

     Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris, one of only two holdovers from the first two Scary Movies) is now a television reporter who specializes in mysterious phenomenon investigating a mysterious video tape that supposedly curses its viewers to die within seven days of watching it. In the course of her investigation she meets Chuck (Charlie Sheen), a former minister turned farmer whose cornfield have been the site of mysterious crop circle formations. What follows is a story that parodies and also manages to blend the plotlines from the horror film The Ring and the suspense film Signs. Along the way the Scary Movie 3 also takes potshots at The Matrix, The Others, Eight Mile, The Sixth Sense, Lord of the Rings and others.

     If Scary Movie 3 looks and feels remarkably different than its predecessors, it’s no accident. After series Shawn and Marlon Wayans had a falling out with studio Dimension Pictures, David Zucker was brought into spearhead the project and his own unique touch is evident. Gone are the numerous grossout jokes that characterized the first two Scary Movies. In their place are bits that draw from the tradition of equal parts slapstick, sight gag and wordplay that Zucker helped define as part of the writing/directing/producing team (with Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, collectively known as ZAZ by fans) that delivered to audiences Kentucky Fried Movie (1977, directed by John Landis), Airplane! (1980) and The Naked Gun series.

     Zucker has surrounded himself with several previous collaborators. Sheen worked with Zucker’s former partner Jim Abrahams on the Top Gun/Rambo parodies Hot Shots! (1991) and Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).  Co-screenwriter Pat Proft’s association goes back to the team’s short-lived cult television series Police Squad! (1982). Even further back is Zucker’s collaboration with Leslie Nielsen who first worked with the ZAZ team on Airplane!.

     The end result, though, is a bit scattershot. For every joke that works, another falls flat. Several good bits have already been given away in the film’s trailer, though The Matrix parody shown has been completely reworked for the actual film. (Press photos also show Queen Latifah in what looks like another Matrix parody scene that isn’t in the final movie. It looks like there should be some interesting things for inclusion on the DVD release.) Unfortunately, Leslie Nielson has done so many variations of his initial deadpan Airplane! character that his work here seems too familiar and not very funny. This is further amplified at the end of the movie when Zucker and Nielsen restage a recurring joke from Airplane!’s finale.

     Still, the producers should be given credit for trying. Scary Movie 2 was nothing more than a rehash of many of the old jokes from the original film. At least with the addition of Zucker and company to the production, Scary Movie 3 feels more like its own entity, and even though it has its fare shares of stumbles, that’s a good thing.