Hatchet III (2013) by BJ McDonnell


Director: BJ McDonnell
Year: 2013
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher

Plot:
Still alive after her battle with Victor Crowley, a woman is forced to go back into the swamps to save the rescue team attempting to find the cause of the disappearances and find him still alive and hunting them down with barbaric viciousness.

Review:

Overall this was an utterly enjoyable and over-the-top entry in the series that makes for a wholly enjoyable time here. What really works for this one is the sheer, utter ruthlessness on display throughout the film, which ranges from the opening attack that continues on the themes from the previous entry to the way this one goes for the different attacks and encounters throughout here, there's hardly anything in here that goes for subtlety as it's so over-the-top and gleeful in doling out this extremely fun time. There's also the return here of the utterly brutal and graphic kills that were part of the first one being put to great effect as this one is just so bloody and graphic that it manages to top the original in several cases with the brutality of the kills on display which are not only impressive for the spectacle but also for the creativity into featuring them all in one singular film.

That alone would've made this one incredibly enjoyable even before the exploits of what really make this one work in the outstanding action scenes that are simply overflowing throughout the film, not only giving this another positive itself in the frantic pace but also giving this one some of the most enjoyable aspects of itself. The opening attack in the swamp is a great continuation, but it also sets up the first of the many encounters here where the recovery team meets their fate on the river-boat, the resulting massacre in the swamps and finally the film's best parts where the SWAT team is targeting the killer in here through some utterly fantastic action scenes where their weaponry is brought to bear on his hideout which results in a frantic firefight in the jungle, a series of blazing encounters where he just annihilates the entire troupe and being forced to using a bazooka in the situation all to no avail as he continues the assault on them.


The final attack on the survivors in the remains of the river-boat is equally impressive resulting in some genuine tension and suspense in the situation as the slowly-growing hole and reduced shelter spaces works against the race to get there for the final dealing blow here is equally enjoyable. Likewise, the suspense from their trek through the dim, eerie swamps at the beginning makes for quite an enjoyable time, as well as allowing for a great break against the unrelenting violence, and coupled with the grisly humor throughout here and the strong story that ties the series together all makes this one truly a lot of fun.



That carries over into the stellar acting as this one gets back to the fun of the original. Danielle Harris continues the greatness of her role from part 2 as Marybeth who is again a great final girl. She has less to do here but it's still great seeing her on-screen. Likewise, that goes for Caroline Williams' Amanda Fowler, the journalist trying to convince others of Crowley's existence as the two of them share a ton of screentime together which makes it fun to see play out. However, it's Sid Haig as the racist Abbott McMullen, Crowley's long-distant relative who steals the show with his hilarious one-liners and un-PC approach. The rest of the cast isn't that bad and certainly have their moments. While some might find issue with the over-the-top gore, it's not enough of a detriment here against this to hold it down.

Overview: **** 1/2/5
This is yet another highly enjoyable and engaging effort that plays exceptionally well with the mythology of the series so far and really has a lot to like overall here. This is definitely a worthwhile follow-up for fans of the series although those that haven't liked the others won't make it this far in the franchise anyway.

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