Jeepers Creepers 3 (2017)

Movie Info

It’s hunting season!

The Creeper (Jonathan Breck) has left the small town reeling as he escapes into the night.  Dan Tashtego (Stan Shaw) has assembled a team to hunt down the creature before it can retreat for another twenty-three years.  Meanwhile Gracie Mathers (Meg Wright) is having visions of her son who was killed by the Creeper in his last feeding and fears her granddaughter Addison (Gabrielle Haugh) could be the next vision if something isn’t done.  The Creeper is hunger, unstoppable, and coming…and his victims are going to war!

Written and directed by Victor Salva, Jeepers Creepers 3 is a prequel a direct sequel to Jeepers Creepers (2001) and a prequel to Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003).  The film was in production limbo for years and then faced problems due to Salva’s criminal past.  It received a one-day theater release and then premiered on Syfy on October 28, 2017.

What does this hand do? It’s magic…so it does whatever the plot needs it to do.

I actually like “the Creeper”.  Of modern horror monsters, I think he has a rather interesting design, an attempted origin, and is actually scary.  As the series has progressed, the character has gotten a bit more humor and personality, but overall, the films are fun.  Due to some plot points, a ******spoiler alert****** is in effect for the rest of the review.

The Creeper set-up a real problem in its origin.  The first movie brought up the every twenty-three year pattern so now it is kind of locked into it.  The movies either have to take place during the same “feast” or it is a period piece or a movie set in the future (though since the movie was released in 2001, the next cycle is coming).  This movie takes place immediately after Jeepers Creepers and serves as a connection between the first film and the second film.  It is done a bit smarter than some prequel-sequels and that is a plus.

The movie has a strange tone in its acting.  You have some characters over acting, you have characters like Stan Shaw who are acting like they are in an action movie and you have the Creeper himself played by Jonathan Breck who seems like he’s following in Freddy’s footsteps in his performance.

I wondered where I left that

The Creeper remains a good creation.  The character design is interesting and you can do a lot with it.  The Creeper’s truck seems to be very gimmicky in that it does what it needs to do when the Creeper needs it to do it.  In general, the “magic” aspect of the script might be good for visuals, but the visuals aren’t as compelling with the script (like the Creeper’s hand that just gives the people the information they need to know).  It is nice that the Creeper can come out any time of day.  Many of these movies are just in the dark and you can see nothing…the Creeper can be seen in all his glory.

Jeepers Creepers 3 is a decent “cheap” follow-up franchise entry.  The movie doesn’t look a lot different than the previous entries and the story progresses through it.  I like the throwback nature of Jeepers Creepers as a monster mash type movie (not necessarily a slasher or thriller), and I would welcome a sequel (as the final scenes indicates there might be).

Related Links:

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003)