CREDIT: SCREEN MEDIA FILMS
Though the former Jeepers Creepers films have been great, this third one might be the one to skip this time around.

If you are a horror buff you may have heard through the grapevine that a new Jeepers Creepers movie was coming to theatres but then never heard anything about it again. Some of you reading this review right now may be surprised to find out that the long-awaited Jeepers Creepers 3 is already out on DVD. What lasted only a day in select theatres ended up becoming a direct to DVD release. Not to fear however, you did not miss much.

Jeepers Creepers 3 takes place in between the first and second film where Sgt. Davis Tubbs pulls together a team to destroy the Creeper once and for all. As the team starts to discover the dark history and origin of the monster, it begins to terrorize a small farming community.

What was said to be the scariest movie out of the whole franchise (said by director Victor Salva) was ruined by the overall setting and lack of mystery. Almost the entire movie was shot in the day time so absolutely nothing was left to the imagination. What makes horror movies truly scary is the unknown, and what lurks in the shadows. While the Creeper itself looked pretty scary, there was no suspense or build up to any of its scenes where it terrorized the town.

On top of the poor setting was a horrible plot line. Not only was it broken and confusing, the main premise behind the Creeper's origin was just plain hokey. The movie was comprised of detached stories that just didn't flow together at all; a sad teen love story, mixed with has-been cops forming a team to destroy the Creeper, mixed with a psychotic grandma (played by Meg Foster) who's acting was just way too over the top to make it believable. The main premise of the movie quickly becomes lost making it even more unbearable to watch.

As a huge fan of the Jeepers Creepers franchise, what bugged me most about the movie was the fact it payed more attention to the Creeper's truck rather than the Creeper itself. While its vehicle had some key scenes in the older movies, it did not need as much screen time as it had in this third movie. With so much focus on the truck and all of its predictable booby traps, it not only muddied the plot line further, it took away the actual Creeper. The truck is not scary, the Creeper is.

With a transparent setting, mixed with a lost plot line and overall bad acting, Jeepers Creepers 3 was definitely the biggest disappointment out of the entire franchise. If you are a fan of the Creeper, I highly recommend skipping this one as it simply doesn't add anything positive to the story. A fourth movie is rumoured to be in the works so there is still hope that the once terrifying franchise can be revived once again.