Review of Return of the Living Dead III (1993) by Bryan G — 29 Nov 2005

[font=Courier New]I'm not sure what it is, but I swear I thought this film series was better than it is turning out to be when I rewatch them. Don't get me wrong though, I still love the original [i]The[/i] [i]Return of the Living Dead[/i]! It is certainly one of the best zombie movies ever made. But lightning doesn't strike more than once.

[i]The Return of the Living Dead 3[/i] is a lot more serious than the first two, but ends up hurting itself with its attempt at melodrama. The movie is about two lovers Curt (J. Trevor Edmond) and Mindy (Abigail Lenz) who break into a secret laboratory on the military base that Curt's father is stationed at.

They discover that the army is using a chemical to bring the dead back to life, and are planning on using these zombies as an unstoppable army. But after an accident later on that night, Curt uses the same chemical to bring back Mindy. At first everything seems alright, until she begins a lust for human brains.

This movie has a lot going for it. I really like the idea of zombies being used as an army... which is ripped right out of the original [i]Day of the Dead[/i] script. But the movies way of trying to make it Romeo and Juliet with zombies is less inspired.

And for some reason the Latino gang comes off as offensive to me. And the use of a homeless man as a sympathy pull comes all to late, and never really draws you into this movie. But what does pull you in is the fantastic gore.

I will give this movie credit for having some of the greatest horror effects I have ever seen. Pity that most people in America will end up seeing the butchered R rated version. I would recommend this film for the fact that it is gory, but that is it. It is the best of all the sequels in the series, but that isn't saying much. [/font].