Director – Victor Salva (Jeepers Creepers, Powder)
Starring – Stan Shaw (The X-Files, The Monster Squad), Gabrielle Haugh (Mother, May I Sleep with Danger, 13 Reasons Why), and Brandon Smith (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, Bernie)
Release Date – 2017
Rating – 2/5
When I was in middle school I rented Jeepers Creepers on tape at the local video store. Some friends at school told me it was awesome and I decided to check it out. I really liked the film and when the sequel was released when I was in high school I went ahead and rented it. It was solid but nothing as fun as the first film.
Over the years I pretty much forgot about the two films until articles was being shared on social media about director Victor Salva and his arrest and conviction involving child porn and sexual misconduct with a child. This made me sick to my stomach and made me want to throw away the films. I was disgusted that I ever liked the films.
A few days later Jonathan Breck, the creep, shared a video. His video was very heartfelt and addressed Victor’s prior arrest. He stated how he understood why people were upset and he agreed that what he did was inexcusable but they shouldn’t destroy Jeepers Creepers and the sequel because the films were more than just Victor. So many people worked hard to make these films possible.
A year or so later news of the third broke and I didn’t care. Eventually the film was released and I was sent a review copy. I thought about ignoring it but the thought of receiving something to review and not doing what is ask of me made me feel like a piece of shit. I finally decided to review it (Obviously if you are reading this) but I was going to be honest and not sugar coat the disgusting acts Victor Salva did.
**Spoiler Alert**The film takes place a few days after the first two films with the creep killing and eating as many victims as he can for the 23 days he roams the countryside. A police team find his vehicle and attempts to tow it but the creep has it booby trapped. The creep is able to get his vehicle and we learn that several officers have spent most of their life training to kill the beast. Meanwhile, an elderly lady has custody of her granddaughter and are struggling financially. She lost her son the last time the creep was roaming the country side and fears her granddaughter may suffer the same fate. They try to work together to stop the ancient evil from killing more of the innocent but will they be able to stop something that is older than time itself?**Spoiler Alert**
I know a lot of fans that absolutely love the first two films and went rabid when news of the third film was released. Most of them don’t say much about the third installment. The film itself was plagued with misfortune ranging from delays, cast dropping out due to Salva’s past, and so on. As much as I hate to admit it but I do enjoy the first film. Justin Long’s performance is fantastic but Jeepers Creepers 3 dropped the ball.
The acting in this one is solid but there was several scenes that seemed to be lacking direction. The cast really gets into there characters with a few going above and beyond. Their characters stand out and overshadows some of the other cast. Sadly, there is a few scenes where the cast just doesn’t seem motivated or lacked conviction. These scenes are few and far in between but are clearly visible and difficult to watch.
The story for this one is more of what was established in the first two films but with more awareness of the creature. I liked how the story looked a little more into the creatures backstory with a little more character development. The film does fill a bit too long for what we get and it did not need to be as long as it is. The film could have been condensed a lot more but I assume it was shot this way due to budget and scenes being deleted.
Finally, the film has a few bloody gags that incorporate practical and visual effects. The practical effects looks great but the visual effects are down right shitty. I’ve seen some pretty bad SyFy flicks over the years but the CGI in this one is complete shit. I don’t know what they were thinking. Overall, Jeepers Creepers 3 is the shitty half-brother to the first two films. The film borrows heavily from the other films but doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Skip it.
