The third installment of Return of the Living Dead doesn't disappoint with some great over-the-top gore. In a return to strictly horror, this film works as a stand alone film or a great companion piece.
Official Synopsis:
“In Return of the Living Dead: Part II, the chemical Trioxin turned people into flesh-eating zombies. Now, the government is trying to control these unstoppable cannibalistic killers in RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3. When a young man uses the chemical to bring his girlfriend back to life after a motorcycle accident, she is driven to eat the only thing that will nourish her…human brains! She tries to stop her own feeding frenzy but a chain reaction has already begun, as hordes of undead are unleashed from their graves!”
If you enjoyed the interesting and unique direction the original took us, and the over-the-top, fun-filled gore-fest of both the first and second films then you will no doubt enjoy the third installment of Return of the Living Dead. It doesn’t stray too far from the formula of the first two, except that now we see the original intent of the toxin, to create bio-weapons or “meat batteries” as they are called that never get tired.
That’s how we open the film, in a military research facility conducting experiments on the undead. Where the Return of the Living Dead series differs from most others in the genre, destroying the brain doesn’t stop these creatures. Cut off a hand, a leg, the head itself, and they will all work independently to come after you, staying re-animated indefinitely. The head of research on the base Colonel John Reynolds (Kent McCord), however, believes he has solved this problem, with pressurized freezing projectiles that he hopes will incapacitate them. Unbeknownst to Reynolds, his son Curt (J. Trevor Edmon) and his girlfriend Julie (Melinda Clarke) have stolen his keycard and has snuck into the research facility and is watching the entire process. Unfortunately, the process is unsuccessful, much to the dismay of several scientists who are eaten alive by the subject. However, the experiment sparks something dark in Julie, who is obsessed by death and living on the edge. As the two lovers speed down the street on Curt’s motorcycle, they crash, killing Julie instantly. Broken hearted, Curt can think of only one solution: take Julie’s corpse to the research facility and re-animate her body.
In the second act, we see the gradual transformation of Julie into a brain-eating member of the undead. This is where the film differs from the other two, and a majority of other zombies films in the genre. The story unfolds as a love story between Curt, a distraught teen who has so much love for his girlfriend he is willing to look past her shortcomings, which include murder and cannibalism; and Julie, trying to understand what is happening to her while struggling to curb her cravings that are like severe withdrawals, combined with the irresistible urge to mutilate herself. Their journey gives us some great gore-filled scenes with some insane effects, along with some cool throw-away secondary characters that we don’t mind seeing disemboweled at a moments notice. The two star-crossed lovers are continuously hunted down by the military, led by new military brass who wants to continue the project with a twisted exo-skeleton constricting the movements of the undead.
In the third act, all hell breaks loose as Julie fully embraces what she is becoming, transforming into a scantily clad zombie the likes you have never seen. The most interesting thing here is the film takes a turn toward a fourth and final act in which the insanity reaches untold heights as zombie vs. military creations wage.
Return of the Living Dead 3 leaves out all the silly humor from the first two. While they are a staple of the series, this one is able to stand alone as something unique from the genre. Although far from perfect, this film does have a lot of entertaining moments that are the requisite for a good horror flick, which is a great third installment.
Video
Return of the Living Dead 3 is presented in High Definition Widescreen 1080p 1.85:1. The transfer is relatively clean with some consistent grain throughout the film. Color levels are fairly accurate, through a bit on the soft side.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Balance is good, and as good as you can get considering the limitations. Regardless, there are some impressive scenes that really work out the 2.0 score.
Special Features
There are some great special features on the disc, all worth watching. The same company utilized by Scream Factory is used for these special features, which means they go above and beyond trying to get as many people involved with the film to come back and share their thoughts. These are definitely worth a watch, and on this set you’ll see:
Audio Commentary with Directory Brian Yuzna
Audio Commentary with Actress Melinda Clarke and Special Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Rainone
Ashes to Ashes – a conversation with Director Brian Yuzna and Screenwriter John Penney
Living Dead Girl – an interview with Melinda Clarke
Romeo is Bleeding – an interview with J. Trevor Edmond
Trimark and Toxin
The Ressurrected Dead
Storyboard Gallery
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailers
Return of the Living Dead 3 works as either as an entertaining third installment of a fun and entertaining franchise, or a stand-alone film that takes the genre is some interesting directions. Vestron Video gives this film a great treatment and fans of the film or the genre itself will want to pick this up.
