Cruel Intentions 3

This installment is so good when compared to CI2 it's immeasurable, with a healthy new cast of characters, and an all new location CI3 does the CI name proud. If I could offer advice to anyone it would be: CI and CI3 are great, but miss CI2.

This movie is based around Katherine's (SMG's character from CI) cousin in California and doesn't, like two, try to resurrect characters :D

Basically if you liked the original CI you do not want to miss this installment, the only criticism perhaps being a rushed start, but do not let that deter you. ;)

Hope you enjoy the film as much as I did!

This 2004 clinker is among the losers of all time. With the exception of the good looks and charm of sexy Kerr Smith, it's a waste of time, money and viewing. Glad it was on TV and I didn't lose anything except sleep. Smith is an eyeful in this with his brooding good looks and fantastic build. Nice to look at. Only thing that made me keep watching. But that lead girl, Kristina Anapau, was awful. With looks of a weasel, squinting eyes, thin lips overly glossed and ridiculous hair, she prances around in a bikini, mistake there as she's a skinny 's broad, thinking she can seduce anyone in pants. Wrong. There were far more attractive young ladies walking around her as extras that could have done better. I won't even ask how this girl got cast. I felt sorry for director Scott Ziehl and writer Rhett Reese as they didn't get much from a poor cast except Kerr Smith's performance. Kerr deserves better offers than this.

Seeing as how beloved the original Cruel Intentions was, the studios decided in making a follow up the year after (2000) then several years later made Cruel Intentions 3.

Now Cruel Intentions 3 doesn't have much connection to the original (although they slip in slight references to Sebastian and Kathryn), which is for the better. Perhaps had this film been a complete stand alone film with zero connection to the original, it would be more well received and more liked.

The acting isn't bad, and the characters are interesting enough. A good thing is they made the characters college aged as they all look well of age.

The main problem is this film feels much more like a teen soap opera sitcom where it becomes predictable. Slightly confusing and at times boring going from one scheme to another. The end twist (not so much a twist) played out how we'd expect.

Yes this is another one of those laughers where a 30something (Smith) tries to play a 20 year old college boy lothario. That is a time tested Hollywood tradition, and not unexpected in a movie of this caliber. What really tests any semblance of credibility is the 'college' itself. Trust me, there isn't a real college anywhere this side of an internet diploma mill that looks like this one. What you really have depicted here is one of those $2500.00 three day weekend seminars where art history majors and trust fund freelance photographers go to get a couple hours instruction in Photoshop tweaks on how to produce fine art prints with inkjets, or something along that line. Lots of time at the pool, plenty of time for sex games among the precocious Botox and Power Peel set, and one or two hangover busting workshops looking at digital slides.

The only sex scene really worth anything is when the Evil Nerd does a quick and nasty 'back seat' style hump on a cute blonde one night on the grass in the resort courtyard. A little bare tit shows up, and the blonde's orgasmic cries are slightly above porno grade.

The real standout, though, is the cinematography. Through careful photographic site selection, grimy and tawdry modern LA is distorted into a rather appealing collection of exotic faux Mediterranean and colonial California Mission locales where the vistas are always bathed in warm late afternoon sunglow or hidden among cool, seductive night shadows. This city hasn't looked this good since Jack and Faye explored it in 'Chinatown.' Or at least since the soap opera, 'Santa Barbara.'

Rent this only if you want to see LA presented the way the California Department of Tourism might want you to see it.

I'm not sure why but I was just curious where they were taking the story of Cruel Intentions. Now if you haven't seen the first Cruel Intentions, I highly recommend it. Cruel Intentions 3 had a very good plot that could have worked and been a worthy sequel, but the way they went at it was all wrong. I wasn't impressed with how unrealistic it was with all these incredibly gorgeous and naive people around, I wasn't even sure if they were in high school or college since some of the students were engaged. It was just weird and unrealistic to me or well explained.

Cassidy and Jason are the new Katherine and Sebastian sort of speak. They are very much in love with each other but have a hate relationship as well, they play with each other constantly. Jason goes as far as to involve his new friend Patrick to play Katherine. But their intentions go cruel when they compete for taken ladies and who can do it first. Then they go for Cassidy in the ultimate bet of all and see who is the ultimate smooth operator.

Cruel Intentions 3, at least to me, was also very predictable, for me the ending wasn't that big of a shock. But I do like the plot a little bit, like I said, it had very good potential. Just unfortunately, the actors ruined it for me, not to mention how it was made, it just could have been better. But if you wanna check it out, I wouldn't stop you, just because I think it's best you judge for yourself on this film, if you're a Dawson's Creek fan, I think you just might like it.

3/10