Back in 2003, we got the UK release of Beyond Re-Animator. As I have reviewed the previous two, I was happy to be able to complete the trilogy. This was a first watch for me.
You could instantly tell that that 80s look had gone and it had been brought into more modern times. In the opening scene, we met some kids and a reanimated person. They looked good and the effects were decent. I was worried that maybe Jeffrey Combs wouldn't feature here much, but then we got a glimpse of him.
We are coming in 13 years later, and for some reason, we are in a Spanish prison where everyone is awaiting a death sentence, including Dr. West. We meet Elsa Pataky, who plays the journalist Laura, and my goodness does she has some awful lines. They obviously were meant to be funny, but sadly were just cringy!
I already didn't really like this film from the start.
The new doctor at the prison, played by Jason Barry, is the kid from the start. Even though he saw his sister get killed, for some reason he wants to work with Dr. West. He found the re-agent all those years ago and has bought it back to him. Not sure why they use it, knowing what it does?!
This film lost my interest quite early on. I am a huge fan of the first two, they are favourites of mine, but this felt nothing like the other films. I was bored.
We have the same story as the others: Dr West and a doctor experimenting with the re-agent, a bad guy wanting the power, a pretty girl stuck in the cross hairs, just all in a different setting. We did get a good, gory climax at the end.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad film, but it has just lost that cheesy 80s charm that the first ones had. The effects and humour just didn't hit the mark, which is odd as it was still directed by Brian Yuzna and starred Jeffrey, the same as the first two. I'm glad I watched it, but it's not a patch on the other films in the trilogy.