Here we
are with another entry in the Tremors franchise. This one is important because
it establishes everyone’s favorite survivalist Burt Gummer as the reoccurring
character that ties the next three and likely the yet to be seen fourth entry
of the series together. So, let me ask you a very important question. Are you
ready for some more Graboid/Shrieker action? I know that I am!
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| All Hail Burt Gummer! |
The action
gets started with Burt finishing off a batch of Shriekers in Argentina before
heading back to Perfection for some R and R. For those not familiar with the
series (shame on you!) Perfection is the town where the first movie took place
and where Burt lives. In the eleven years since the Graboids first turned up it
had become a minor tourist attraction. But since no more of the monsters have
shown up everyone is feeling pretty safe. Guess who decides to return? Lucky
for everyone Burt is prepared for them this time… or at least he thought he
was.
Sure
enough there is yet another mutation that no one has seen yet. This time
because of some government interference the Graboids are allowed to become
Shriekers, that then mutate into Ass Blasters! Damn critters can fly now. They
really shouldn’t have given the monsters time to browse the countryside for
lunch. Now Burt and the survivors, including some familiar faces from the first
movie, have to figure out how to deal with this new menace, while still running
from the one Graboid that doesn’t mutate. Things get complicated.
I’ll admit
that Tremors 3 isn’t as good as the first couple, but I still love it. The plot
continues to switch things up with the third mutation of the creatures. Not
only that but they take the time to establish the lifecycle of the critters
which I thought was a nice touch. See Graboids eat up things and then give
birth to the Shriekers which are even more aggressive and hungry. The Shriekers
multiply and eventually metamorphose into the Ass Blasters. They fly all over the
place and eventually lay the eggs that become the Graboids. Someone took the
time to explain the creatures in Tremors. How cool is that?
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| The Ass Blasters are a welcome addition to Tremors. |
Speaking
of cool this one also establishes Burt Gummer as the focus of the franchise. I
love the character and Michael Gross nails it again. Everyone always mentions
Dustin Hoffman in Outbreak as the prototypical unexpected action hero, but how
about we give Gross as Burt some love? For someone that was best known as
playing the hippy dad on Family Ties he is awesome as the survivalist gut nut
going to war with the monsters. Honestly after part one he is the whole reason
that anyone watches this franchise and, in my case, watches it over and over
again. Burt Gummer Rules!
The CGI is
much better here, but they still use actual latex in the close shots. This is
still one of the highlights of the series for me. Way too many monster movies
have a great story that is ruined by lousy effects work. That isn’t the case
with Tremors 3. Again they use actual on set rubber creatures when possible and
that makes me very happy. Even the CGI they use for the Ass Blasters flying
around is decent and not at all distracting. I was a bit disappointed in the
lack of volume in the flying guts. We got much more in part I and II, but I
suppose not everything can be perfect. When the worst that I can say about your
movie is that I didn’t get enough rubber monster guts tossed on the cast that
means you made a good movie!
If you are
a fan of the franchise I think you will also dig the reoccurring characters
from the original. Heck even a couple of dead characters get a call back in the
sequel, Nester’s moonshine saves the day! I recommend Tremors 3: Back to
Perfection.
© Copyright 2018 John Shatzer
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