Less raunch, more laughs in latest Scary Movie
October 30, 2003
If you find yourself looking for less horror and more laughter tomorrow night, Scary Movie 3 might just do the trick by providing a comedic treat.
Unlike the franchise's previous two films, Scary Movie 3 is not helmed by the Wayans brothers. Instead, David Zucker, whose credits include producing the comedic classics Airplane!, Top Seceret! as well as producing BASEketball, directs this installment; the results are less raunchy and possibly funnier than the films penned by the Wayans brothers.
Like its predecessors, this movie is meant to be a spoof on Hollywood. If you've seen 8 Mile, Signs and The Ring, the film's jokes will make more sense than if you haven't.
However, the humor won't be lost if you aren't an avid viewer of major Hollywood releases.
The film's heroine, Cindy (played by former UW student Anna Faris), investigates mysterious crop circles on a minister-turned-farmer's (former porn-star dater Charlie Sheen) property, falls in love with a rapping farm boy (former porn actor Simon Rex) and helps the president (former Canadian Leslie Nielson) avoid an alien invasion.
Sheen's role, a parody of Mel Gibson in Signs, is relatively brief, but when he is on screen he is funny. It's good to see him in a comedic role again, perhaps he is trying to relive his comedic glory days in Hot Shots! or Major League films. Unfortunately for Sheen, his role is too brief for him to make a large impact on the film.
Instead, the gags center on Faris and Rex. Rex's idiot farmer-rapper character is the highlight of the on-screen highjinx, with a great knock-off of the 8 Mile rap battle scene. Another memorable moment is the unexpected beer-commercial joke; it is almost guaranteed to generate laughs.
Leslie Neilson's presence helps, but like Sheen, he doesn't bring much to the table besides a familiar comedic face. Also, cameos by Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Queen Latifa, Macy Gray, Method Man and many other rap and hip-hop stars make Scary Movie 3 fun to keep watching.
Not every joke induces side-splitting laughter, but there are plenty that do deliver, making it worth a trip to the local Cineplex.
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