Poltergeist III Collector's Edition Blu-ray Review

Before she was ten years old, Carol Anne Freeling was twice targeted by a paranormal entity determined to use her innocence for sinister purposes. The first incident saw the poltergeist punch a hole into our world, kidnap the child and terrorize her family for their rescue efforts. The second time the spirits located her, their leader Reverend Kane took on a physical form and tried to split the Freelings apart by playing on their fears and insecurities. Both efforts were defeated when challenged by Tangina, a tiny aging ghost-buster short in stature but filled with sass. Having successfully survived multiple supernatural attacks, the Freeling family decides it is best to send young Carol Anne to stay with relatives across the country so they can enjoy some peace and quiet in her absence.

Aunt Pat has recently married the manager of the Hancock Building in Chicago, the third tallest building in the world. Bruce Gardner is a loving father and generous man who welcomes Carol Anne with open arms, while Patricia is a bit reluctant to warm up to her niece. Bruce’s teenaged daughter Donna is also well-meaning, but more interested in hanging out with friends than babysitting a twelve-year-old. Carol Anne is attending a private school for gifted children with emotional problems and has caught the attention of headmaster Dr. Seaton. He believes her ghost story is nonsense and that she simply has mastered the power of suggestion. Carol Anne is reluctant to discuss her past, as she knows Rev. Kane will stop at nothing to claim his prize. Kane uses all means to track her down and plays with the mirror images in the building’s numerous reflective surfaces. He doesn’t care who he uses in order to win and once again, Tangina must step in to help save the young girl she has grown to love.

When Poltergeist II proved to be a box office success, a second sequel appeared inevitable and director Gary Sherman (Dead & Buried) agreed to take the reins if he could bring a fresh approach to the material. His spin was to make a haunted-house film set in a high-rise with an Alice Through the Looking Glass spin. The idea in itself is great, but doesn’t work when shoehorned into the Poltergeist mold. Without relying on Carol Anne and Rev. Kane, the story could have been really interesting. The decision to bring back Kane is poorly executed with excessive make-up appliances that appear neither organic nor do they resemble the features of the late Julien Beck, who originated the role in the previous film. Sherman co-wrote the script with Brian Taggert (Visiting Hours) and fills the screen with elaborate mirror image gags involving deadly doppelgängers. This is an effective tool when used sparingly, but that is not the case in Poltergeist III.

Tom Skerritt (Alien) is charming and instantly likeable as Bruce Gardner, a decent guy without any of the excess baggage that populated genre films in the 1980s. He has great onscreen chemistry with all of his co-stars and I only wish his character had been the focus of this picture. Nancy Allen (Dressed to Kill) does a fine job as Patricia, a newlywed woman not ready to raise a child. Lara Flynn Boyle (Twin Peaks) is effective as Donna and brings a devilish mirth to the scenes involving her evil alter-ego. She spends too much time screaming the name “Carol Anne” to be anything but annoying at times, yet viewers may wish to take this as an invitation to create a drinking game. The late Heather O’Rourke reprises the role of Carol Anne for what would be her final film appearance, but sadly this proves to be a waste of her time and talents. Zelda Rubinstein (Sixteen Candles) is surprisingly awful this go-round as she returns to her role of Tangina. The character doesn’t fit in this story and her willingness to step in and help makes the girl’s missing parents seem a little less likeable.

Poltergeist III is not a very good film, but it is a creative and resourceful one. Sherman relies too heavily on his mirror gags, but scores mad points for the finale involving our actors aboard the window-washing rig high atop the building’s exterior. I would be more interested in seeing how he would tell this story without the franchise connections. It is a shame that the series ended on a sour note, but this sequel does nothing to diminish the strength of the original picture.