The Third Society (2002) User Reviews

Awesomely bad - Definite potential for cult status

[theredmare · 1/10 · 12 March 2004]

I watched this movie , warned that this was possibly the worst movie ever made....And after seeing it, I'm afraid I have to agree. But it's , as I said, awesomely bad, which made it great to watch. There are bad movies, plain bad movies, and great bad movies, this is in the last category, most definitely. So much as I could make out the story, it deals with 2 women whose mother was killed by some asian baddie when they were young...they go on a witness program and one became a special cop later...that's all you need to know about it anyway, because none of it makes real sense, nor does it need to. I started to laugh 5 minutes in,and then alternated all the way through between having fits and gales of laughter and being totally bemused by it. The acting is just hopeless, the plot nil, the soundtrack so badly cheesy I laughed AT it, the fight scenes look like pillow fights underwater (I think it's meant to be Thai boxing, but I'm not really sure), in short everything is so bad you have to wonder did they do it on purpose? (I'm still wondering) Oh, and the end credits top it all up of course..they won't let you down.

The girl who plays the younger sister is not a bad actress, which of course ruins the entire effect, but the 2 shower scenes or the pink panties-thai boxing-flashback training session make up for it all, trust me...not many movies make me cry laughing.

Anyway, I give it a most admiring one star, one star because it doesn't deserve more, admiring because I would never have dared (actually the lead actress didn't dare either, her name is nowhere to be seen on the credits, and I can well understand why, though it COULD have been to avoid shooting, because she's definitely the worst of the lot, by far)

If you love Z movies, well invite a few friends over for a bottle of wine and pasta bolognese, and pop this DVD in the player.....you might have the laugh of your life ;)

Great cult potential - J.A. Steel is a talent to look out for.

[mab1 · 2 July 2001]

This is a movie people will be talking about for years to come, for both it's good points and bad. J.A. Steel is obviously a director who knows how to set up action scenes, though the production suffered from lack of money and time towards the end. Well worth a look!

decent first try, entertaining in parts, gratuitous violence

[trackman16 · 3/10 · 16 June 2001]

good cinematography......especially the australia forest and waterfall shots......good soundtrack....especially closing song with angels in the title.....useful plot and story......too much narration....need more entertaining dialogue....more martial art action needed....too much gun shooting.....closing credits too long....outtakes good....message to schmansky too personal....would like to see more action, more lively dialogue and more plot twists.....decent first effort.....looking forward to sequel....

This is one of the worst movies I have ever seen

[Dajur1 · 1/10 · 30 March 2005]

Seriously, this movie is garbage. The cinematography is poor, the plot is nonsensical and the acting is just plain bad. This is just an extended version of a high school student no budget film. Actual quote from the movie:

Jones: "Sure, I'll shake him down. Bye."

Narrater: "And that is how Jones became a Los Angeles police officer."

WTF?

The editing is especially bad as well. Some scenes show the same, or near same, footage over and over again. Making the scene even longer and more tedious. There is this one scene that takes place at an airport runway that just DRAGS on.

Avoid this movie at all costs. It is far worse than Gigli.

A Rare Find: A "B" Movie With Originality!

[ziggyvideo · 8/10 · 19 June 2001]

For anyone who truly loves and appreciates B movies for the art form that they are, "The Third Society" is a welcome treat. With a well-directed blend of action, smartass comedy, and a little "something different", this movie brings some real originality to an underappreciated genre, and is definitely worth the look. This flick has got attitude to spare, and features some of the most memorable B movie scenes I've come across in a long time, along with a surprisingly good soundtrack.

Bottom Line: This is one movie that definitely deserves to be seen by a larger audience, and I for one am already anxious to see what this production team comes up with next.

So much to like here!

[cupcupdrinks-18396 · 8/10 · 26 October 2022]

I've been a big fan of J. A. Steele's film "Salvation" for a long time, and now I'm happy to report that I'm also a big fan of "The Third Society". This is a great example of an independent filmmaker really giving it their all. The scope and scale of the movie was a lot bigger than I was expecting, with fight scenes, airplanes, helicopters, motorcycles and more. The DVD also has some great behind the scenes features, where Steel and others involved with the film give an honest assessment of what worked in the movie and what didn't. Watching this in 2022, there's a certain nostalgia for movies made during this time period in the early 2000's. If you're a fan of indie action flicks, definitely check this one out! J. A. Steel is a certified bad ass.