Scary Movie 3
Miramax Films | Release Date: October 24, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
49
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
15
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Like its two predecessors, Scary Movie 3 is a hit-or-miss affair, but the gags that connect really connect. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
It is consistently entertaining and frequently hilarious, the violence of the slapstick so cartoonish that it does not spoil the fun. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Scary Movie 3 is a veritable time capsule of of-this-moment kitsch, schlock and bad taste. And it's funny, too. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Where the Wayanses flogged every last chuckle from their belabored ideas, Zucker spring-loads his gags and lets them fly in rapid-fire succession. Not everything hits the target, but he tosses so many of them off with a wink and a grin that they catch you by surprise. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
The jokes come in endless flurries, and if they're working - even at a ratio of 1 in 4 - you're laughing more than you're not. The Zucker-Proft team simply has a higher batting average than the Wayans. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Thanks to director Zucker, this is by far the best installment yet -- there's less bathroom humor and more "Airplane!"-type lunacy. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
The franchise, which had begun to run out of steam in Part 2, has been given a shot of adrenaline with the replacement of the Wayans Brothers as the prime creative forces by Hollywood's original spoof-meister, David Zucker. Read full review
60
Washington PostTeresa Wiltz
It's outrageous. It's obnoxious. It's offensive. And yes, it's also really, really, really funny. Or, at least, it is for the first 40 minutes or so. Read full review
60
Film ThreatKevin Carr
Overall, the whole isn’t as funny as some of the parts. While some scenes had me laughing hysterically, others had me looking at my watch and feeling like I was in the middle of a “Saturday Night Live” sketch that was just going on waaaaaay too long. Read full review
60
Village VoiceDavid Ng
Vigorously date- and time-stamped, Scary Movie 3 boasts a cultural half-life of about five seconds, but for those seeking a return on their weekly multiplex pilgrimages, this movie is The One. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jason Anderson
The decision to overhaul the Scary Movie franchise by sending up such non-horror titles as "8 Mile" and "The Matrix Reloaded" also pays dividends. Read full review
50
USA TodayMike Clark
The time might be right for the Scary movies to quit on top, even though, alas, there are no term limits for sequels. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Notably Wayansless. It's also notably devoid of a point of view. Read full review
50
VarietyDennis Harvey
Results here are just middling funny, with no truly memorable high points and a sum impact that goes poof! Read full review
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
Although Scary Movie 3 boasts the same relaxed attitude to racial and sexual humor, some of the same eye for movieland ridiculousness, along with the usual cameos (Pamela Anderson and Simon Cowell), it lacks a single explosive, roll-on-the-floor gag, and too often repeats and belabors jokes that are merely OK. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Sneaks in the occasional child-molestation or bestiality joke, but otherwise seems content to cannibalize the broad slapstick of Zucker's halcyon days with Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverGregory Weinkauf
A bucket of crap, but at well under 90 minutes it's a small bucket, and half the crap is amusing. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Plot doesn't matter much here, as Scary Movie 3 exists solely to reference and lampoon other movies, in this case "The Ring," "Signs " and "8 Mile." Read full review
42
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
One of the funniest things in Scary Movie 3 is Pamela Anderson. She makes us laugh. And not just at her (though she's game to poke fun at her image) but with her. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
Ends up committing the spoof genre's worst crime: becoming a tired parody of itself. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyScott Foundas
As in the late-period works of Mel Brooks, the very structure of the film feels irreparably fatigued. Read full review
40
EmpireChris Hewitt
it is intermittently very funny. Read full review
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The average issue of Mad magazine contains significantly smarter movie satire, because Mad goes for the vulnerable elements and Scary Movie 3 just wants to quote and kid. Read full review
30
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Films like this are the definition of "critic proof"; if the casting, synopsis and very concept don't deter you, you'll probably find it very funny. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
After the first few minutes, viewers will get the feeling they just emerged from a 14-month coma. Even the non-movie jokes focus on last year's news. Read full review
25
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
If there's one thing this motion picture proves, it's that "The Naked Gun 33 1/3" wasn't the final insult from a founding ZAZ (Zucker/Abrams/Zucker) member; this is. Read full review
20
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Enough already. Read full review
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