SmugKitZine Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

Ploydsge just watch it!

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

MaximumMadness In the world of cult-classics, there are few films that come close to matching the high quality and even higher entertainment value of the 1990 release "Tremors." A creature-feature like no other, that original movie thrilled audiences with a keen and clever combination of old-fashioned creeps and a surprising sense of humor as it told the tale of massive underground worms that devour hapless victims in a small desert community. It was horror-comedy heaven for fans of all things gooey, gory and silly, and remains a cherished release to this very day. And it ended up spawning quite the franchise, with thus far four direct-to-video follow-ups having been released and another on the way, in addition to a short-lived but generally well-liked television series.Though while the franchise has maintained a pretty consistent sense of fun and spunk throughout its near thirty years, the fact does sadly remain... Some entries are better than others. And "Tremors 3: Back to Perfection" is definitely one of the low-points in the overall story. An odd and transitional film that is crippled by a low-budget and a sometimes contrived sense of nostalgia, this third outing never quite comes together as a cohesive experience despite fun performances and a few stand-out scenes. Though at the same time, I'd by lying if I suggested there wasn't still just a bit of fun to be had with it... it's just not quite up to the standard set by previous installments.It's been a couple years and good-old paranoid survivalist Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is still out there hunting Graboids and Shriekers for pay. But things aren't quite going so well at his old homestead of Perfection, Nevada. The town's Graboid prevention systems are falling into disrepair, Walter Chang's old market has been taken over by his neurotic niece (Susan Chuang), and an opportunistic con-man (Shawn Christian) has started selling "Graboid Tours" to hapless tourists. However, when an startling series of events begins to unfold and it appears that the Graboid threat has branched out into a new form of evolution, these three very different people will be forced to band together to survive and save Pefection once again!Directed by series co-creator Brent Maddock, there are indeed flashes of brilliance through "Tremors 3" that do make it a worthwhile watch for hardcore franchise fans. Not the least of which is the continued excellence of series star Michael Gross as the iconic Burt Gummer. Gross has become almost the mascot of the "Tremors" brand, and he's just a complete joy to behold. Gummer is that wonderfully unique type of character whose somehow both likable and unlikable all at the same time... sort-of gruff yet well-meaning. The kind of hero you can root for and shake your head at, all at the same time. And Gross plays it to perfection as always. I also really admired the attempts at expanding the series mythology and characters, with many faces last seen in the original popping back up again. It gives the movie a very cool, nostalgic kick to it and makes the world feel more grounded and lived-in.Unfortunately, I can't help but feel that objectively, "Back to Perfection" suffers too greatly for its faults to rise above the level of general mediocrity. It's a "for-the-fans-only" affair through and through. Most noticeably, the film is extremely cheap and sometimes tacky in its assembly, making it a tough sit in comparison to the grander scale of virtually every other installment of the franchise. It has that wonky "TV-movie" aesthetic that early 2000's direct-to- video sequels often boasted, with flat lighting and even flatter camera- work, and the costume and creature design takes a noticeable nose- dive. Particularly when it comes to the woefully awful CGI that was implemented to bring the monsters to life. I almost hate to say it... but the lack of texture and plastic-like sheen that the digital creatures have also has the unfortunate effect of making the Graboids look a little too... well, "anatomically male", if you catch my drift. Which brings about unintentional laughs far too often and lessens the threat.I also really felt like the film is built up too much around nostalgia, and it doesn't stand on its own enough. That may seem hypocritical given my views of other "nostalgic" movies, but the thing is... it's just not handled that well here. It doesn't really add much to the movie outside of pandering to the hardcore fanbase, giving it way too much of a kitschy "Hey look, remember this character? How about this location?" vibe that feels shoehorned and contrived. Characters are brought back simply to make an appearance or two, and it makes far too many callback gags while never adding enough new to the table. It doesn't come across as a proper "Tremors 3"... but instead feels like a very weak "Tremors 2.5."Still, I can't help but give a mild recommendation to fans of the franchise. "Tremors 3" might by my personal least-favorite of the series, and it does have a lack of funding and ambition that I found troubling. But the likable performance of series-star Michael Gross, a few interesting twists and turns and a fistful of effective sequences manage to more-or-less salvage the experience. Don't go in with high hopes, and you should get a couple laughs and gasps out of it. I give "Tremors 3: Back to Perfection" a middle-of-the-road 5 out of 10. Worth checking out once or twice for hardcore franchise fans.

Scott LeBrun Expert Graboid killer Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) returns to the tiny desert community of Perfection after some time away. (For example, in the opening sequence, he's helping the people of rural Argentina with their Shrieker problem.) He finds that Perfection has been turned into a Graboid themed tourist trap. A new local is Desert Jack Sawyer (Shawn Christian), and his scheme is offering guided tours. Soon, some of the subterranean monsters are making appearances, after an absence of 11 years, and people like Burt, Jack, and market owner Jodi Chang (Susan Chuang) have to protect themselves against the various incarnations of the monster, including a new menace, the flying "Ass Blasters". (Yeah, I know, it sounds like a porno film.)It *is* nice to see some of the old characters once again, like rancher Miguel (Tony Genaro), and mother and daughter Nancy and Mindy (Charlotte Stewart and Ariana Richards). Annoying jerk Melvin (Robert Jayne) is now a persistent developer. The new characters are mostly nondescript and bland, although studly Christian and pretty Chuang are reasonably engaging compatriots for Burts' battle with the Graboids. The material, written by franchise veterans S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock (who debuts as director), and Nancy Roberts, is only so-so, however. Sometimes it's entertaining, but at other times it's merely tiresome. The filmmaking is fairly slick for a direct to DVD sequel, because there *are* some gorgeous shots. The creature designs are still impressive, but some people will take issue with the copious use of CGI.Gross got boosted to star of the franchise after the departure of both Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, and he certainly has made Burt Gummer a very entertaining character. You gotta love his predilection for weapons, gadgets, and safeguards. He is the most valuable asset of these movies now. Look for his sister, comic actress Mary Gross, in a quick cameo as a tourist mom. Character actor Tom Everett ("Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III", "Air Force One") appears unbilled as Agent Statler."Tremors 3: Back to Perfection" may do the trick for monster movie lovers if they're not very demanding. It's somewhat overlong at an hour and 44 minutes, but at least it never gets too boring.Six out of 10.

TheLittleSongbird The first Tremors was brilliant, and to me one of the sharpest and funniest monster movies out there. The second film while not as efficiently paced or directed was surprisingly entertaining with a smart script, good jumps and above average acting. This second sequel is fun enough, and it does do very well with what it set out to do.While I did enjoy the movie, I did have some things that disappointed me here. The plot is not the best, instead it is rather predictable and feels too much like a retread. The pacing like in the second film isn't as efficient, while the direction is sometimes a little stodgy and there was the occasional moment where it felt slightly overplayed. And maybe I'm nitpicking, but part of me misses cool and charismatic Earl, though that's not a criticism as such as his absence is explained.What I liked about Tremors 3:Back to Perfection was its beautiful scenery and cinematography, and once again the script is smartly written. The Graboids are well designed, and the attacks and jumps are believable, as are the quite authentic sound effects. The acting mostly is good enough, Michael Gross returns as Burt and he is especially a lot of fun, both sympathetic and hilarious. And I agree Ariana Richards still maintains her cuteness.Overall, entertaining and fun sequel. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Bjorn (ODDBear) The second sequel to the unexpected hit "Tremors" goes back to the source, Perfection, where all the mayhem ensued in the first place. Trigger happy bomb expert Burt Gummer (Gross) once again fights the Graboids who, once again, have evolved even further and are becoming more of a threat.Start with the good; Going back to Perfection gives the filmmakers a chance to revisit old characters and show how much the place has changed due to the sensation the Graboids acquired some years back. It's fun to see how the town milks those slimy creatures for all their worth and the place has become a kind of tourist attraction. Video games, pinball machines and cheap literature among other things populate the local store and overall there's a nice continuation feel here from the first movie.Now the not-so-good; This movie was essentially a Pilot for the short running TV series that followed. It's far too stretched and long-winded and the minuscule budget prevents decent special effects.The first one had the initial surprise factor and for a good deal of time it wasn't known what these people were up against. It was also peppered with decent performances, a sharply written script that kept things moving along nicely and good special effects that weren't computer generated. Very surprisingly the sequel almost outdid the original. Not only was it a direct to Video movie and missing the leading man (Kevin Bacon), but somehow the flick managed to add to the Graboids saga, generate quite a bit of suspense and had very decent special effects.In "Tremors 3" the Graboids mutate once more. Now they're high flying creatures and even more terrifying. But actually, due to a low budget they aren't so terrifying and only have a limited screen time and what there is is pretty uneventful. The movie drags quite a bit, has less interesting supporting characters and treads awfully familiar ground. Silly humor (like Burt being eaten by a Graboid only to return unscathed) does little to further the film as well.All in all, "Tremors 3" is the least enjoyable one so far. It has it's moments, the scenery here is always quite the eye-candy and Michael Gross is always fun as Burt.