Review of Scream 3 (2000) by Karol N — 10 Aug 2013

The third (and up until a few years ago, final) chapter of Wes Craven's 'Scream' franchise, 'Scream 3,' lacks the smartness and mystique of the first two films and instead relies heavily on a "Hollywoodization" of the series.

Despite the return of a few familiar faces that audiences love (Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox and briefly, Liev Schreiber), the latest batch of supporting cast does not deliver, even though some of them have gone on to have more respectable roles (Patrick Dempsey, Jenny McCarthy, Emily Mortimer, Parker Posey).

The plot is pretty lame - Sidney Prescott is called to LA to the set of 'Stab 3,' the latest film in production based on the original Woodsboro murders that continue to haunt Prescott. While it's true the production team should get credit for trying something new with the series, it trivializes the thought and intricacies that went into planning the story lines of the previous two films.

While the twists are generally okay, the final reveal of who the killer is is not anything too shocking. The change of scenery is a welcome one, but considering it's the boring backlots of Hollywood, it's nothing too earth shattering.

It's fair to say that while Wes Craven tries his best to outdo himself, 'Scream 3' is still a disappointment on a grand scale.