Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001)

The third movie in the Tremors series of films is adequate entertainment for the fans. Michael Gross returns as Burt, who in turn returns to Perfection to find it a tourist haven of Graboid fans. Into the mix is a nefarious real estate deal that threatens the very existence of the townsfolk. But of course, the Graboids and their mutated offspring don't care about such things.If not expecting too much then this serves up some good straight to video fun. The formula remains the same, with Burt the paranoid saviour of Perfection getting some good lines, while the return of characters from the first film is a splendid bonus for the fans. There's some snarky asides to the perils/cheats of tourist traps, and the real estate rape of the land angle is driven home without over kill. Safe if undemanding creature feature fare. 6/10

In Perfection Valley, Nevada, Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) is paranoid with the Graboids and their evolution Shriekers. The small time crook Desert Jack Sawyer (Shawn Christian) swindles tourists with his partner simulating the existence of Graboids. When the deadly worms return to the town, Burt is forced to team-up with Jack and the trader Jodi Chang (Susan Chuang) to fight back and save their lives."Tremors 3: Back to Perfection" is a lame sequel straight to video of the franchise. This flick seems to be a Sci-fi production with terrible story and special effects. My vote is four.Title (Brazil): "O Ataque dos Vermes Malditos 3: De Volta à Perfeição" ("The Attack of the Damned Worms 3: Back to Perfection")

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection was the point in the Tremors franchise where (a) was strictly catering to the love and admiration the fans of the first two had for the characters and biology of the subterranean worm creatures and (b) the budgets for these films began to dramatically decrease. Tremors 3, as it sits, is a film made for hardcore fans of the franchise and those who don't mind a little Sci-Fi (capitalized for a reason) treatment to their beloved franchise in the respect of look and feel.The low-budget is evident by the limited human interaction with these beasts, be them Graboids, Shriekers, creatures with that hatch from Graboids that can walk on land and sense any kind of nearby heat with thermal sensors, and the new "Assblasters," which are pretty much Shriekers with the ability to soar thanks to butane gas in their hindquarters. This time, instead of a Mexican oil field, we return to Perfection, Nevada to find Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) residing in a heavily armed and secured bunker, despite no Graboid sighting in the valley for the past eleven years, and residents from the first film, such as Miguel (Tony Genaro), the Mexican rancher and Nancy (Charlotte Stewart) and her daughter Mindy (Ariana Richards), also still residing in Perfection. Earl and Grady have moved on to start their own theme-park in Bixby after making a fortune killing Graboids in the Mexican oil refinery so, much like Val in Tremors II, their significance in this film is reduced to a sidenote.Burt's closest friend in town besides Miguel is Jodi Chang (Susan Chaung), who know owns and operates the general-store-turned- tourist-shop of her late uncle Walter Chang. Jodi is usually subject to Burt's paranoia and the antics of "Desert Jack" (Shawn Christian), who puts on a haunted tour of sorts through Perfection Valley for tourists. However, when Graboids prove to still occupy the land, Burt and the remainder of the valley are prohibited from fighting back by several government agents, who claim that the Graboid is an endangering species. If, however, harm is safety of the townfolk is compromised, the agents agree to evacuate everyone in Perfection, only making it easier for Melvin Plug (Robert Jayne), the spunky teen from the original film, and his band of realtor goons to build a series of condominiums in the area. Burt, "Desert Jack," and Jodi, however, still to take matters into their own hands in combating the uncommonly advanced Graboid species even as they continue their metamorphic state.Tremors 3 directly appeals to fans simply by the genial and nostalgic sentiments it summons by reintroducing us to characters from the first film, all of whom played by the same actors they were originally played by. Call me sentimental or easily fascinated, but it's a delight to see characters like Miguel and Melvin back once again, in a way that personalizes the story and keeps it consistent, rather than having new characters populate the valley. Imagine how much worse this sequel could've been if Perfection were populated with people like "Desert Jack," who shout and holler every word like they were raised in a line-dancing bar. Because Brent Maddock, who worked on the previous two Tremors installments, commands the director's chair here, I feel there's a great respect for the source material through and through with this project, even if intentions and the end result are a tad questionable at times.With that, the special effects have admittedly taken a sharp downturn. When the Graboids, specifically "El Blanco," the new albino Graboid we see in this film, rise from the ground, mostly to taunt their future victims by wiggling in the air, they look like soft-serve ice cream, and the action involving them is incredibly limited, showing great budgetary restraints on special effects. The limited interaction with these monsters shows the serious cutbacks of the film, and while the new "Assblaster" creatures initially seems juvenile, the fun continues when we see, again, what Tremors has really been about from the start: thinking of intuitive ways to hunt and kill subterranean behemoths that are almost always finding ways to outsmart the human characters.Aside from one serious biological attribute about the Graboids at the end of the film, which, I feel, is simply a sign of screen writing laziness on part of S.S. Wilson and Nancy Roberts, Tremors 3: Back to Perfection works to give us down-home nostalgia, as we return to Perfection, and provides in several ways the kind of suspense and silliness we've come to expect with this franchise. Forgive some evident special effects shortcomings and a potential flaw in biology and the film still has that lovable sense of fun and weirdness that has helped the series last in two separate decades.Starring: Michael Gross, Shawn Christian, Susan Chaung, Tony Genaro, Charlotte Stewart, Ariana Richards, and Robert Jayne. Directed by: Brent Maddock.

Tremors 3: Back to Perfection starts in El Chaco in Argentina where Graboid expert & war nut Burt Gummer (Michal Gross) has been hired to wipe out an infestation of Shriekers. Upon his return to to Perfection Valley in Nevada where he lives Burt finds things have changed, Jack Sawyer (Shawn Christian) is running Graboid tours & a greedy property developer is trying to buy all the land in Perfection to build ranches. Then suddenly a new wave of Graboids appear, Burt warns the town & convinces them to help him kill them before they turn into Shriekers. However Federal Agents step in & forbid the killing of any Graboids due to the endangered species act which gives them the opportunity to become Shriekers & then after that stage they transform into yet another different type of creature which Burt has to deal with...Directed by Brent Maddock this was the second sequel to the excellent & likable 90's monster flick Tremors (1990) which is generally considered a bit of a classic, the sequels however thus far are a long way from classic status & while Tremors II: Aftershocks (1996) was decent enough Tremors 3: Back to Perfection continues the downward spiral of diminishing returns. The script follows Tremors II: Aftershocks quite closely with the initial Graboid reappearance & then about half way through just as in Tremors II: Aftershocks a new different type of creature is revealed & I don't quite know what to make of them to be honest. They look silly for a start & their ability to light their own farts to take off & fly is even more ridiculous in practice than in theory, the sight of them launching themselves off the ground using lighted farts is just as lowbrow & juvenile as it comes. I am not sure it if was done for comic effect or not but that's the impression that comes across & even calling them Ass Blasters says a lot about the mentality of the script & concept. As with Tremors II: Aftershocks things get out of hand & a bunch of survivors have to fight for their lives against the odds, you know the score. The chemistry between Kevin Bacon & Fred Ward was vital to the success of the original & while Ward came back for Tremors II: Aftershocks even he is missing form this & it's up to minor character Burt Gummer to step up to the plate & carry the film, to be fair he is quite amusing at times & at least his sidekick Jack Sawyer is quite likable & not some silly comic relief buffoon. There's nothing here we haven't seen before, the Shriekers are not seen at all apart from the opening sequence & at almost 100 minutes long it does drag at times & the constant silly humour & one liners does get tiresome & repetitive quite quickly.The lessening of the budget means that Tremors 3: Back to Prediction uses footage from the original Tremors & the CGI computer work isn't the worst around but it does look a bit shoddy at times especially when the main monster looks so silly. Apparently this was made as a way to sell the subsequent Tremors (2003) TV series which ran for thirteen episodes. A few character's from the original Tremors return here for a bit of novelty value, Nancy, Miguel & Melvin all reprise their roles. With the PG rating don't expect any gore & there's a low body count too.The production values are alright & it's well made, imagine a polished Sci-Fi Channel 'Creature Feature' & your not far off. The acting is OK, Michael Gross is amusing & has his character nailed down while the minor character's are all ably played.Tremors 3: Back to Perfection is alright for what it is, it's another creature feature with an especially silly creature, there are a few trademark Tremors moments & character's but you can see the series is getting a little bit tired. Followed by the TV series & Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) while Tremors V: The Thunder from Down Under (2010) is listed as in production.