Scary Movie 3

  • Review Date: May 9, 2004
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Comedy
  • 2003
 Review

Common Sense Media says

This PG-13 has R-rated stuff.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that, as usual, the MPAA gives a PG-13 rating to material in a comedy that would get an R-rating in a drama. There are jokes about drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, race, drunk driving, pedophile priests, gang shootings, barfing, menstruation, testicular cancer, bestiality, and people with disabilities. There are some graphic images, including severed heads and limbs, and a brief shot of a bare behind. The movie parodies racist stereotypes, but some audience members may believe that it perpetuates them as well. The movie has potty humor and shows dogs having sex.

  • Some racial humor, There are jokes about drinking, smoking, drugs, sex, race, drunk driving, pedophile priests, gang shootings, barfing, menstruation, testicular cancer, bestiality, and people with disabilities.
  • Graphic comic violence, including severed heads.
  • Very explicit sexual references for a PG-13.

What's the story?

In this third installment of the parody series, an alien invasion connected to a videotape and some crop circles open the door for a series of riffs on a couple of dozen movies, including Signs, The Ring, 8 Mile, and The Matrix. Some of the jokes come from juxtaposing two pop culture references, as when American Idol's Simon Cowell critiques an 8 Mile-inspired rap performance, and Pamela Anderson finds a videotape inspired by The Ring even scarier than the infamous video featuring her private moments with then-husband Tommy Lee. More of the humor comes from gross physical harm or from wildly inappropriate comments or behavior in front of children. One child is hit by a car, repeatedly beaten and injured, molested by a priest, and told about his mother's substance abuse during pregnancy. A dead body is subjected to violent attempts to bring it back to life, resulting in the severing of its limbs. The rest is that good old comedy staple -- stupidity -- as when a group of heavily armed gangstas show up to fight the aliens but then start arguing over who smudged whose sneakers and gun each other down instead.


Is it any good?

 

The first two Scary Movies, written and directed by the Wayans brothers, were R-rated, cheerfully raunchy, and cheekily politically incorrect parodies of popular movies, including Scream and its sequels. SCARY MOVIE 3 is rated PG-13 and the Wayanses have been replaced by David Zucker, director of both wildly funny comedy classics (Ruthless People and Airplane) and painfully un-funny flops (My Boss's Daughter). This movie is somewhere in the middle, not as good as The Naked Gun series but better than Baseketball.

There are some very funny moments, and Queen Latifah lights up her scenes as a psychic, with the able assistance of Eddie Griffin as her husband. George Carlin is a pleasure in a Matrix-inspired role. Regina Hall brings some snap to the best-friend-destined-to-die-early-on role. But this is a movie that will primarily appeal to those who can get excited about seeing performers like Ja Rule, Ghostface Killah, and Method Man acting silly, especially those who are young enough to get a kick out of the inherent subversiveness of any satire aimed at popular media, without caring too much whether any of the targets are actually hit.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how the people who made it look at popular films to decide how to make fun of them.


This review was written by Nell Minow
Teen, 14 years old
October 3, 2011
 
Okay.
Not as good as first two, but ok.

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Kid, 13 years old
January 4, 2011
 
Nice movie to catch some laughs with friends
Very good movie and a nice way of catching some laughs. I have watched it at least 4 times and still laugh. The only annoying thing is the fact that some of the movies that they make fun of are rated R so there are some gaps.

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Teen, 14 years old
August 26, 2010
 
very mature for a PG-13

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Kid, 8 years old
October 9, 2011
 
Pause
i guess this isnt too bad but some language kids cant use i have only seen 3 and 4 of the scary movie series.

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Teen, 15 years old
July 18, 2011
 
Not that bad
This movie really isn't that inapropriate. There is hardly anything sexual and hardly anything violent. There is a bit of language, but nothing to worry about. VERY funny.

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Parent of 15 year old
August 9, 2010
 
R-rated content
violence:High PG-13 Sexual Content:Low R Language:Low R

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Teen, 14 years old
July 30, 2011
 
Awesome!!!
I really loved this movie, especially because I've seen The Ring countless of times, and I understood the humor about 8-Mile because I know about Eminem's life. I actually don't think that the sexual was that bad. There's a comment about a girl being a "h-o" and this girl uses the term "doing it." Also, Pamela Anderson shows a lot of cleavage- big suprise there huh?! Charlie Sheen comments about sex. Also Anna Feris comments about wanting great sex. Anna Feris says "It's so hard" while she's hugging a guy and talking about her life. The guy says "ya because your up against me..."

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Kid, 13 years old
February 22, 2011
 
perfect for any person who wants to die of boredom
hated it, the wayans brothers shouldn't have been replaced. it was not funny at ALL! to tell you the truth...the wayans brothers added comedy and a little kick to the movie and without them it was just DEPRESSING, AND SAD. Bottom line is that no one can replace the wayans brothers....................not even that crappy david zucker. BORING!

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Teen, 16 years old
September 5, 2010
 

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Teen, 14 years old
June 29, 2011
 
Tales from a Teenager Part 3
Scary Movie 3 is toned down a bit from 1 and 2. But don't believe you are getting any mercy. It has very strong language, profanity, and even some references to doing it. I know that this movie is PG-13 but it is one of the most violent, language using movies that is PG-13. Parents watch this with your children, there is a scene when Michael Jackson holds one of the mens' penis, and held back but only laughs. Look for Part 1 on Poltergeist, Part 2 on Scary Movie, and Part 4 on Scary Movie 4.

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This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:Dimension
Director:David Zucker
Cast:Anna Faris, Charlie Sheen, Simon Rex
Genre:Comedy
Run time:90 minutes
Theatrical release date:October 24, 2003
DVD release date:May 11, 2004
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:pervasive crude and sexual humor, language, comic violence and drug references

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
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