Plot: What’s it about?
Fresh off his third global Graboid hunt, Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) returns home to Perfection, Nevada, where a lot things have changed. It seems someone wants to purchase all the land in the area, some yahoo is running a Graboid tour of some kind, and Gummer’s fortress of a new home has been completed, just in time. His new estate has concrete underground on all sides to keep out the Graboids, as well as countless other security measures of all sorts. It has been eleven years since Perfection was attacked by Graboids, but Burt takes no chances, not even for a second. One day while leading his tour group through the desert, Jack (Shawn Christian) finds himself under fire from a real Graboid, which devours one of his helpers and of course, sets off a panic all throughout the small town. Just as Gummer prepares his troops to do battle, some government agents arrive and inform them that as an endangered species, the Graboids cannot be hunted. But if Gummer can deliver a live specimen to the agents, his license to kill will be reinstated and Perfection won’t be overtaken by the government. But can Burt and his small group of workers overthrow the Graboids again, especially when they have to somehow take one alive?
As a fan of the previous two Tremors films, I was looking forward to Tremors 3, but I still had some doubts. But once I saw Michael Gross was back in his hilarious survivalist role, I knew I was in good hands. This third installment keeps the same tone as the prior two, which means sort of camp at times, but always fun to watch. Aside from the absence of Fred Ward, Tremors 3 surpasses the second volume in all respects, although it doesn’t quite match up to the original picture in the series. Even so, this direct to video adventure has all the elements a Tremor fan could want, quirky characters, powerful weapons, and of course, those pesky Graboids, shriekers, and other underground menaces. I do wish more cast members had returned, but with Gross and some others back on deck, there’s a solid connection through all three films. The story is more than solid, the Graboids have evolved again, and in the end, Tremors 3 is much better than I expected. If you’re a fan of the Tremors series, this newest installment is more than recommended, although I wish Universal had included more supplements.
The sole human connection between all three Tremors pictures, Michael Gross returns for a third spin as Burt Gummer, perhaps the most interesting character in this series. I suppose Gross was a natural choice to lead this third installment, since his role has had some of the best lines in the series, including the immortal “Doin’ what I can with what I got,” which remains one of my favorite all time quotes. Gross is hilarious and totally believable as the ultimate survivalist, complete with massive gun caches and a virtual fortress he calls home. Of course, this means the role has a lot of humor involved, but Gross plays the line very well and goes over the top at times, but only when the character demands it. You can also see Gross in such films as Cool as Ice, Big Business, and Ground Control, as well as the television series Family Ties. The cast also includes Ariana Richards (Jurassic Park, Prancer), Shawn Christian (Beautiful, Tv’s As The World Turns), and Susan Chuang (Braceface Brandi, The Big Thing).
Video: How does it look?
Tremors 3 is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a more than solid visual presentation, especially given the direct to video nature of the release. The print looks very clean, but does show some grain at times, though I suspect this is due to the equipment used, not this visual transfer. The colors look bold and natural, with no signs of smears or oversaturation in the least. Aside from a couple instances of softness, the contrast is on the mark also, with high detail presence and sharp black levels. It might not be one of the elite level transfers, but this one looks fine by me and I saw no serious errors to report.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included Dolby Digital 5.1 option offers a passable audio experience, but won’t become the next demo disc, to be sure. The surrounds spark up when they need to and this mix has powers at times, but this material simply doesn’t demand constant dynamic presence. So no, this is not a below average audio track, but it just never moves to that next level, which is good, since this material doesn’t need that. The dialogue is clean and crisp throughout, with no volume flaws to discuss and no distortion or such. This disc also includes English and French subtitles, just in case you might need either of those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a brief behind the scenes featurette, some talent files, production notes, and the film’s trailer.
