GingerdeadMan3

Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver (2011)

The movie starts off with an FBI agent, Clarissa, going to see the Gingerdead man in an institution. She is there to interview him so that they can figure out why he kills. While there some animal activists break in to set all the lab animals free. Though this lockup is for homicidal baked goods. The Gingerdead man makes a break for it and finds a time machine. Yeah guys this isn’t a movie that you should be taking seriously, killer cookie and all. He travels back to 1976 where he ends up in a roller rink that is about to close. He goes on a murder spree and eventually gets what is coming to him. At least that is until the next sequel happens.

Okay this is a funny movie. The story is a combination of a wisecracking killer, who happens to be an animated cookie, and some movie parodies. Beyond the obvious stuff with the Roller Boogie connections there are a lot more. We get some good stuff with the Gingerdead man being locked up in a maximum-security prison ala Silence of the Lambs. Then we also get a funny Carrie parody with the character of Cherry. Both of these are a big part of the story but they manage to not beat the jokes into the ground. Also included are amusing takes on Porky’s, as well as Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (the “guests” that show up to save the day).

But unlike some movies this isn’t just a series of parodies. The Gingerdead man does get his body count, cracking wise along the way. The dialogue is funny and John Carl Buechler does a great job with the voice. Though to be fair no one can really replace Busey. Still this is more then one of those Epic movies. They do a good job tying what could just be a random series of scenes together with the Gingerdead man plot thread. It makes for fast and entertaining way to spend 78 minutes.

So obviously I like Gingerdead Man 3. In fact my only real complaint has to do with the special effects. I don't mind the puppetry work used to bring the main character to life. It looks silly and was clearly thrown together without a lot of money, but that is okay. When I sit down to watch a flick like this I can deal with that. But what I did find annoying was the CGI. And it is really bad CGI. All the kills are digital, be it some melting bikini babes or those that get a cleaver to the noggin. Hell the bullet hits and blood spray are all CGI as well. There are a couple of times where we see an appliance on the floor, but that is it. This really hurt the movie and took some of my enjoyment out of watching it.

In the end Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver is about what I thought it would be. It is a silly and entertaining movie. Though in the final judgment I did have to knock off a half a star because of the terrible effects. For more information on where to pick this one up head on over to Echo Bridge Home Entertainment’s website.

2 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer