"Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead" is a pretty inventive and fun sequel. Following "Part II", this time Reggie (Reggie Bannister) is continuing his search for the Tall Man to stop him from his deadly work. Mike (Michael Baldwin) is captured by the Tall Man after falling into a coma, and now it's up to Reggie to save him. With the help of Jody (who is mainly in the form of a silver sphere now) and some others that he picks up along his journey, including a young boy named Tim (Kevin Connors) and a woman from the Army, Rocky (Gloria Lynne Henry), Reggie begins a relentless search for the Tall Man's current location, where he has Mike, and what he plans to do with him.
A different but very entertaining entry, "Phantasm III" is a very fun film. It differs in style quite a bit from the previous movies, but it seems like that's a trend in this series. "Phantasm" had it's own kind of surreal style, "Phantasm II" had a similar surrealism but had much more action, and "Phantasm III" is more of a slamming, action-packed horror adventure, with a more mild dose of mysticism and a lot more gore. It's a different kind of film from the rest, and since the style is so much different from parts I and II, I think that is the primary reason that people didn't enjoy it. I personally do miss the surreal atmosphere, which I felt this film was distinctly lacking, but it still has enough strangeness and bizarre nature to keep me happy. There is some humor thrown into the mix as well, which seemed a little strange I suppose, but was likely there for some comic relief amidst the out-of-this-world premise. Anyhow, the comic scenes aren't blatantly funny, but do get a little snicker from the audience. The only problem I have with it is that it seems to draw away the seriousness of the story, thus making it less frightening, which wasn't good.
The storyline gives more explanation about The Tall Man which is needed, but I did feel this movie had almost too many villains. Not only do we have The Tall Man plus his dwarve-creatures and army of spheres, but we also have a trio of thieves that Reggie stumbles upon, who end up as zombies that continue as antagonists throughout the film. I felt that was a little unnecessary, but I'm not going to nitpick too badly. I enjoyed the scenery in this movie and the sci-fi elements are brought through a bit more here, but I was very, very pleased with the final thirty-minute showdown in the huge, Gothic mausoleum. That really brought things home - it was a magnificent, extremely spooky set, and was the perfect place for some good scares and action scenes to unfold.
This sequel has more gore, so that means more special effects, which were done very well, I must admit. Lots of sphere attacks and some really clever, unusual death scenes make for a good time, and a nice display of what the special effects creators have to offer. Acting-wise, we have Michael Baldwin returning as Mike (he was replaced by James LeGros in Part II), and Billy Thornbury returning as Jody, so having all the original cast members back was a major positive. Reggie Bannister is great as well as the quirky but likable Reggie. And while I thought the new character of Rocky almost seemed misplaced (kick ass Army chick with an attitude), I liked her a lot and I thought the actress portraying her did a great job.
Overall, "Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead" is a sequel that has it's share of problems, and differs a lot in style from the other movies. But, it is an energetic and fun continuation of the story that has enough positive points that make it well worth a watch, especially for all those "phans". It's weirdly funny at times and creepy and dark at others, but I enjoyed it a lot despite it's flaws. Some may not like it because of the different style and path that it takes, but I thought it was a really fun sequel. 8/10.
A different but very entertaining entry, "Phantasm III" is a very fun film. It differs in style quite a bit from the previous movies, but it seems like that's a trend in this series. "Phantasm" had it's own kind of surreal style, "Phantasm II" had a similar surrealism but had much more action, and "Phantasm III" is more of a slamming, action-packed horror adventure, with a more mild dose of mysticism and a lot more gore. It's a different kind of film from the rest, and since the style is so much different from parts I and II, I think that is the primary reason that people didn't enjoy it. I personally do miss the surreal atmosphere, which I felt this film was distinctly lacking, but it still has enough strangeness and bizarre nature to keep me happy. There is some humor thrown into the mix as well, which seemed a little strange I suppose, but was likely there for some comic relief amidst the out-of-this-world premise. Anyhow, the comic scenes aren't blatantly funny, but do get a little snicker from the audience. The only problem I have with it is that it seems to draw away the seriousness of the story, thus making it less frightening, which wasn't good.
The storyline gives more explanation about The Tall Man which is needed, but I did feel this movie had almost too many villains. Not only do we have The Tall Man plus his dwarve-creatures and army of spheres, but we also have a trio of thieves that Reggie stumbles upon, who end up as zombies that continue as antagonists throughout the film. I felt that was a little unnecessary, but I'm not going to nitpick too badly. I enjoyed the scenery in this movie and the sci-fi elements are brought through a bit more here, but I was very, very pleased with the final thirty-minute showdown in the huge, Gothic mausoleum. That really brought things home - it was a magnificent, extremely spooky set, and was the perfect place for some good scares and action scenes to unfold.
This sequel has more gore, so that means more special effects, which were done very well, I must admit. Lots of sphere attacks and some really clever, unusual death scenes make for a good time, and a nice display of what the special effects creators have to offer. Acting-wise, we have Michael Baldwin returning as Mike (he was replaced by James LeGros in Part II), and Billy Thornbury returning as Jody, so having all the original cast members back was a major positive. Reggie Bannister is great as well as the quirky but likable Reggie. And while I thought the new character of Rocky almost seemed misplaced (kick ass Army chick with an attitude), I liked her a lot and I thought the actress portraying her did a great job.
Overall, "Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead" is a sequel that has it's share of problems, and differs a lot in style from the other movies. But, it is an energetic and fun continuation of the story that has enough positive points that make it well worth a watch, especially for all those "phans". It's weirdly funny at times and creepy and dark at others, but I enjoyed it a lot despite it's flaws. Some may not like it because of the different style and path that it takes, but I thought it was a really fun sequel. 8/10.