The Human Centipede 3 (Final Sequence)

I've been a big supporter of writer/director Tom Six and his taboo-busting Human Centipede films since the beginning: I rated the first film 8/10, and gave the jaw-droppingly twisted sequel 9/10. The only reason I didn't give Part Two full marks was because I believed that Six still had a few tricks up his sleeve and would probably surpass himself with his third film.

As it happens, I was wrong.

As far as the controversial content is concerned, the film delivers numerous scenes that live up to Six's notorious reputation, kicking off with some sexual abuse, before proceeding to serve up such sordid treats as the torture of a prisoner with pans of boiling water, a nauseating castration scene, the insertion of a gun barrel into a man's stoma, the consumption of human testicles and dried clitorises, some wound-rape and coma-rape, and, of course, the creation of not just the biggest human centipede yet, but also a human caterpillar, the surgical process for both depicted in graphic detail.

But while the film doesn't wimp out on the deviancy, it does suffer from two major problems that make it a very unsatisfying experience overall. The first is the prison setting, which is so implausible that it renders the whole movie utterly ridiculous. The first two films, while unlikely, were at least vaguely plausible: it was possible to believe that a raving lunatic might try to stitch a few folks ass-to-mouth out of curiosity, but the notion that the head of a large correctional facility could do the same, with the co-operation of his staff, is absurd in the extreme and seriously detracts from the film's overall effectiveness as a shocker. Even when viewed as a black comedy, it's still a dumb premise.

The second issue I have is with Dieter Laser (the actor who played Dr. Heiter in the first film): his performance as sadistic warden Bill Boss is hugely irritating, the guy drawing out every single syllable at the top of his voice to the point where I would have liked to have seen HIS mouth sewn to someone's ass just to shut him up. Laurence Harvey (bug-eyed star of the second film) is also crap, but at least he's not quite as annoying. Both guys are out-acted by porn-star Bree Olson, who is also a whole lot easier on the eyes.

If the subtitle 'Final Sequence' is to be believed, this film sees an end to the Human Centipede series; it's a hugely disappointing way to wrap things up. Let's hope that Six's next film sees the director back on form: we need something to flush away any memories of this rather obnoxious mess.

If you've recently been introduced to the Human Centipede series, I suggest just checking out the first two movies and completely ignoring this 3rd installment. This one tried to be comedic, which is a major disappointment. Fans of this series loved the first two movies because they were very dark and twisted. Tom Six seems to not understand this and only wanted to make a comedic sequel just for the sake of it being "different". I've seen this happen with other horror sequels, and it never turns out well. The comedy itself was in bad taste.. as a few others have pointed out.

You know a movie is going to be bad when you have a porn star (Bree Olson) as one of the main cast.

The first Human Centipede movie had a certain novelty factor about it. It was meant to shock and it succeeded, thus making it somewhat watchable.

The second was a disgusting mess with no redeeming features and would likely be in my bottom 100 movies ever made.

This, is an odd creature.

So the antagonists from both previous movies return, but they both play different characters! In the second movie the first movie was made out to be exactly that, just a movie. In this one both the first and second are supposed to have been movies.

Still with me?

Adding an element of humor this third part is undeniably memorable but not for the right reasons. It aims to shock once again and pulls out all the stops in doing so.

Credit where credit is due, the lead takes the character and makes it his own and saves the film (To an extent). The Human Centipede III is disgusting, and there is barely a story but it has moments that are very hard to get off your mind so it at least succeeds there.

Not for the faint.

The Good:

Dieter Laser certainly makes for an interesting character with Billy Boss

The Bad:

Shock for the sake of shock

No real storyline

Bill Boss the warder of a tough maximum security prison watches the European art house black comedy films involving the human centipedes and invites the films director Tom Six to see how viable this would be in real life

I can't say I was a massive fan of the original HC . I missed out on the sequel and only watched this one because I had the opportunity of seeing it free and contains the bizarre casting of Eric Roberts and former porn star Bree Olson. On top of all that there seemed to be a meta-fictional aspect of director Tom Six playing himself and the trailer looked good . What's wrong with investing a couple of hours in blackly comical horror ?

Well to be fair the trailer is accurate in a way of "Meglomaniac abuses power and really pushes the boat out" but the execution is dreadful . Dieter Laser looks totally camp in the trailer as Bill Boss and while the performance is bearable in a two minute trailer it's not in a feature length film . I can understand that he's not supposed to be taken seriously for a moment but that's not really the point as he shouts , squeals and uses lots and lots of swear words while inflicting violence on people . It's not satire we're watching but absolute farce and Laser becomes painfully irritating , so much so that you find yourself looking forward to Eric Roberts appearing if only to see a calm and reserved performance . Yes chaps you read that right - Eric Roberts probably gives the most calm , rational and realistic acting performance in the entire movie . I suppose you could also give Tom Six a back handed compliment in making a sequel that is a billion light years removed from the original movie but nothing about it really works and in cinematic terms it feels like a juvenile delinquent who wants to shock the adult world but just ends up looking silly . Take this insult:

"Not even the corpse of a spastic would want you . Now f--k off"

That's probably the most witty line in the film and I've come out with funnier compliments throughout my entire life which hopefully says more about THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE III than it says about me

I was genuinely expecting more of the same. A horrific and disturbing body modification style horror but I actually found myself becoming bored with the incessant and insipid screaming of Dieter Laser and the profoundly bad acting of Laurence Harvey.

The First two movies were polemical and somewhat uncomfortable to watch. They were disturbing and, in many ways, were unique.

This final installment was just annoying to watch. It did not shock and the actual, 'centipede' part didn't even happen until very late in the movie.

This movie was a massive let down and the radical departure from the stylistic form of the first two movies ruined it in my eyes.

Let us hope this really is the last sequence.