Review for Hatchet 3

Hatchet 3 is the third of Adam Green's series of supernatural slasher films and if you want a film that is just out and out gory fun, then this is the film for you. There is certainly a Joe Dante/Sam Raimi feel to this film and if you take it too seriously you will probably hate the gorefest that it is. If you take it for the 70s/80s throwback that it feels like it is, then you may love it.

Taking place immediately after the ending of Hatchet 2, Marybeth (Played by Danielle Harris) has finally killed Victor Crowley (Played by Horror legend Kane Hodder) via a mixture of shotgun and finally chainsaw. Staggering into town, covered in blood, she is immediately arrested while the police investigate what has actually happened.

However, Crowley is far from dead and when he wakes up continues to destroy everything in his path. SWAT team at ready bring in the superior firepower to deal with this. If they can...
While this is going on, Marybeth is being interviewed by Amanda, a reporter who has been declared a fool after her stories about the Victor Crowley incidents. Only she knows how to make sure that they put this monster in the ground for good this time.

What follows is some of the most gory deaths and fountains of blood that you will ever see. This is not for the weak of heart or stomach and everyone should be warned that eating should be avoided while watching this terrifyingly bloody and often hilarious film.

Now, I worried that because I hadn't seen Hatchet 1 or 2, that Hatchet 3 would be a confusing film. Thankfully, that is not the case. It is true, that if you have seen the other two films you may have more of a grasp of what is going on, but I don't really think this is a film that needs much explanation. Essentially Victor Crowley is a Jason Vorhees clone and though this could work against him, it is helped by the amazing performance by Hodder who played Jason himself.

What I enjoyed about this film is that unlike something like Eli Roth's Hostel series, this is a film that does not dwell on the pain of its victims. Characters are stabbed, beheaded and quite literally pulled apart, but the violence is never lingered on. Because of this, there is an almost Tom and Jerry feel to what is happening. Crowley throws people against the wall and you almost expect a BOING sound effect. Most deaths are for jump scares or for comic effect and because of this the gore, and there is a lot of it, is just another element of the film.

The acting throughout is what you would expect from this type of film. You would not be expecting Academy Award winning performances, but for what they are the performances are all adequate. Cameos by SId Haig as a dumb, racist relative of Crowley is hilarious and the performance of Zach Galligan (Who most will remember as Billy from Gremlins) as the Sheriff is wonderful. Of course, the two highlights are the gorgeous Danielle Harris and the wonderful Kane Hodder. Harris is making a name for herself as the modern Scream Queen and certainly shows in this film why this is the case. She looks great, acts great and has that great mix of scared and strong that worked so well in the 70s and 80s. Hodder is just amazing in this film as Crowley and though I can't quite work out what the character is supposed to be, his performance is so scary and so memorable that you can see a new Horror Character Icon in the making.

It is sad that the film does not come with any extras as I would have loved to have seen how they made this film. It has been promoted as a film that used practical effects throughout and it would have been so interesting to have heard from those involved just how they managed some of the shots in the film. Sadly, there are no extras at all which lets the film down a bit.
Hatchet 3 is a fun film for those who grew up on cheesy Slashers. If you don't want to think about the story, worry about plot twists or be sickened by the violence, this is the film to sink your hatchet into.