Joshua C. (jconn) from ROME, GA Reviewed on 3/20/2009...
This was a great movie, and a very interesting series overall. The first one was just a very poorly made sci-fi horror film, but it seemed to try to be serious. The second was a really funny parody of the first, and unlike the first it was very much worth watching. This one, on the other hand was serious like the first but this time it was really more of a sci-fi drama than a horror flick. It was still a zombie movie, but it was more centered around a touching story than an attempt to be scary.
5 of 6 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Where is the unrated version?
R. L Templeton | 07/23/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"It's a shame I have to drag out my old unrated VHS tape of this to catch all the gore. I waited a long time for this to come out on DVD and we get the cut "R" version. It's still gory as all get out but is missing a few scenes that I need to be happy. Whoever released the "R" version on DVD dropped the ball."
She's to die for.
Review-Warrior | New Zealand | 01/21/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This unique sequel finds two teenage-lovers Curt and Julie looking for a thrill, and they find it in a secret Government research lab where Curt's Dad works. There, they learn the chilling factor that the dead can remain living with the help of a chemical called '2-4-5 Trioxin.' Curt horrified, Julie amazed, both flee to Curts house to chill out. When Curts' father returns home they both get in an argument that causes Curt and Julie to escape on Curts' motorcycle. Unfortunately for Julie, there is a motorcycle accident and Julie is killed. Curt, afraid to live without her, revives her with the chemical Trioxin. But Julie isn't the same as she use to be, she feels different and very, very hungry. In a murderous accident Julie soon learns that only the taste of brains will norish her. Curt disgusted at what he sees begins to regret his actions. But then Julie learns that the pain helps, pain makes the hunger go away. With a Mexican gang on thier tails, the teenagers escape and find a new friend called 'River-Man.' As Julies' urges for brains grow stronger, she goes to drastic measures and does some serious decorating on her own body using metal, glass, chains and more to create enough pain to sustain her.
With her urges growing stronger to attack Curt, Julie must under-go a painful transformation, if she ever hopes to leave Curts' brains in his head where they belong.
I really enjoyed this movie, I found it as good as the first and way better then the horrible Part 2. The plot-line had a good speed, it didn't drag nor rush into things. The acting by Curt and Julie is fantastic and 'The new Julie' looks very cool and gross. If you're a gore hound then I highly recommend this movie. If you want more gore, there is an uncut version located on the UK Amazon site, hyperlink at the bottom of the page. The uncut version is well worth buying, but I recommend you make sure your DVD player is multi-region first."
Great and ultra gory sequel
N. Durham | Philadelphia, PA | 02/27/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Return of the Living Dead 3 is a large departure from the other two films in the series. Where as those two films combined dark humor and zombie horror, director Brian Yuzna (Bride of Re-Animator) goes all out with some of the goriest zombie action to see release in this country. When a young girl (Melinda Clarke) is killed in a motorcycle accident, her boyfriend uses the experimental facility where his father works which re-animates corpses to bring her back to life. However, when she comes back, she's got a hunger she's never had before, and it's like the old saying goes; a girl's gotta eat. The acting is surprisingly solid, with Clarke being almost perfect as the zombified girl who still loves her boyfriend. The gore is extremely realistic and there is loads of it, so be warned; gorehounds will find plenty to love here. All in all, this is one low budget horror film that is definitely worth checking out."
A much better third film in the series, but lacking the come
A. Sandoc | San Pablo, California United States | 08/15/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"In 1993 horror fans were greeted with the release of Return of the Living Dead III. This third film in the Return of the Living Dead series produced by John Russo ends up being a very good zombie movie and actually has genuine horror that the second film lacked. What ROTLDIII, its writers and directors seem to have left behind was the comedy side of the series which made them cult-classics to begin with.
Taking up directing duty this time around was genre-veteran Brian Yuzna (Beyond Re-Animator) who films this third film purely on a horror standpoint. This film is serious horror from start to finish. This time around the military is still trying to find a way to use 2-4-5 Trioxin as a way to create zombie soldiers, but ones that could be easily controlled by them. To say that this project hasn't met with success was an understatement. But it's the story of the son of the military project director and his girlfriend who dominate the film's plot. As portrayed by James T. Callahan and Melinda Clarke, these two star-crossed lovers find themselves enmeshed with the dark secret of the project being held in secret. Son soon uses the Trioxin gas to try and ressurect his girlfriend who gets killed early on during an accident. What he gets instead is an undead girlfriend whose hunger for live brains (for some reason the zombies in this ROTLD sequel also feed on other bodily parts) can only be controlled when she causes herself bodily pain through extreme forms of piercing. The rest of the film deals with the father trying to save his son not just from himself and his undead girlfriend but from the hordes of escaped zombies in the facility.
The horror in the film was actually pretty good and this was helped alot by the gore effects work which surpasses anything the first two films in the series had. The acting was decent enough with Melinda Clarke as the zombiefied girlfriend putting on a sexy, albeit creepy performance. If it wasn't for the brain and flesh-eating she sure would've made for quite a poster girl for teenage boys.
In the end, Return of the Living Dead III continues the ROTLD series admirably. Despite not having much humor and comedy in the film, this third film in the series more than makes up for it with high levels of gore and a definite sense of horror the first two didn't much have."
FEAR : THE FINAL FRONTIER - DEATH : THE FINAL FRONTIER ?
Juscelino Liberato De Aquino | MANAUS, AMAZONAS ,BRAZIL | 04/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Being a horror enthusiastic,owing every horror flick you can imagine- from the classics to the watchable ones-I,perhaps I am the most qualified person to say something about this movie.Definitely it's one the best !The story was masterfully told and shown.Part one is excellent.Part two is good,but this part three is among the best in horror history!Regardless of what narrow-minded /envious critics ,fake horror fans or would-be highbrow watchers say,it's wonderful.We all fear death and this is what it is about!It's about young people (a boyfriend and a kooky pretty girlfriend)who discover that death is not the final frontier, but a kind of unconscious state,from which escape is impossible because when resurrected /brought back to life and to the real world these people gradually lose what they had and can't be human anymore.They lose their sanity and their human side and become what we fear most : becoming barbaric,wild,uncontrollable animals.After paying an illegal visit to a military facility ,a youth and his girlfriend (MINDY CLARKE)discover that the army has been doing experiments with the dead!That's how the story starts!Mindy does an excellent job(always!) as a zombie girl full of love,compassion and conscience,a girl who knows what she has become and what she'll have to do sooner or later - kill.She changes from a sweet,lovely slaphappy teen to a frightening, scaring and scared zombie with conscience!This is what the movie is about! The special effects are extraordinary,Brian Yuzna is a great director,the plot is finely written.This movie is not suitable for those who do not love horror movies because they'l never grasp the full significance of what these films really mean!THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD SERIES,especially PART 3,IS and WILL ALWAYS be a MASTERPIECE- Enough said !"