Meatballs III: Summer Job

I don't understand why Meatballs III ranks in the bottom 100. It isn't a Kubrick film nor is it Star Wars, but it never intended to be. Meatballs III is, very simply, a summer "camp" B-movie infused with a dose of teenage humor. I enjoy it and even own it on videotape because the film's premise is hilarious and it plays out well. (I didn't pay much for the used tape, though.) In fact, I think it is more entertaining than half of what makes it into the movie theaters from Hollywood.

The movie is entertaining because the premise is so outrageous you can't believe anyone made a film out of it. Also, I enjoy the antics of the outrageous, ogre-ish "Mean Gene" who owns the marina.

If you just want to relax with a few beers and don't mind drek if its done decently and doesn't pretend to be anything other than drek, then you might enjoy this movie.

I voted a 7 for it because it is pretty decent as far as B-movies go. I did not rank it on the same scale that I would use for a more serious movie or a big budget Hollywood film.

Rudy Gerner (Patrick Dempsey) gets a summer job in upstate New York at a river "resort" on the St. Lawrence River wherein a strange woman (Sally Kellerman) helps him with his pursuits of the fairer sex.

"Meatballs III: Summer Job" was shot in the summer of 1984, but not released until early 1987 due to the difficulty of apprehending a distributer after the box office failure of "Meatballs Part II" (1984). Of the three sequels this is the only one with connections to the original 1979 film in that Rudy, the mentee of Tripper (Bill Murray), is 2-3 years older and focused on girls. Tripper doesn't appear in this one, but Rudy reads a letter from him.

The flick is a mixture of the original "Meatballs" with the goofiness and biker gang of the beach party films of the '60s, plus the raunchiness of "Porky's" (1981). It's that last part that ruins the movie for me, although it's thankfully not AS crude. In short, this is "Meatballs" minus the innocence. Another negative is the eye-rolling competition involving bedding the marina owner's woman upstairs (Shannon Tweed).

Nevertheless, Dempsey makes for a quality protagonist and the subplot of the porn star (Kellerman) having to come back from the other side to do a genuine good deed is amusing, reminiscent of the quirkiness of a Woody Allen flick. Moreover, the coming-of-age element is compelling.

There are several nubile females with winsome Isabelle Mejias playing the girl interested in Rudy, Wendy. For a superior movie featuring Isabelle, check out the similar "State Park" (1988).

The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Hudson, Quebec, with some stuff done west of there in Ontario.

GRADE: C.

You know how many actors start off in their crappy first movie. This is Patrick Dempsey's first crappy movie. This is strictly for the undemanding comedy viewer or the undemanding viewer of any genre. He really started off in this bomb of embarrassment. Here's the plot, where's girls raise Dempsey's anatomy more than laughs in a fizzer of a film. Dempsey is a nerd, going to work on his summer break, heading to a popular seaside spot, which is anything but glamorous. You should check out his living arrangements, for this mean owner, Gene, has taken over this pub and gas business, where Dempsey's pumping more than boat fuel. At the start where he's p...k teased by a couple of girls, we see this laughing stock later on re-invents himself thanks to a magical force, Sally Kellerman, only visible to Dempsey of course. She has to him improve his chances with girls otherwise her wish won't be granted at the pearly gates on heaven. So, dressed the part and a confidence man, he ends up with these hot babes and sends other guys flying through the room or busting tables without hardly laying a finger on them. As if? But in the end he realizes his real love was there in front of him all the time. This is a very corny Meatballs that hit video shelves in back 87, where it should of hit the back of cars or trucks. It's a lame comedy, guaranteed hardly any laughs, but I guess if your a Dempsey fan, who followed a string of similar teen sex films that were way indeed, better, this might be worth the watch to see how this good actor started off. And if you don't like it, there's always the remote nearby. A little joke, Gene's wife, (no not Gene Simmons, the character Gene) Shannon Tweed who's kept like a prisoner upstairs, has a faux intercourse scene with Dempsey, the only redeeming moment of this trash.

Sally Kellerman has been in some good stuff ("Serial", "Foxes", "The Boston Strangler").

Then there's "Meatballs III"...and this stuff ain't good.

You see, Kellerman plays a deceased porn star whose only ticket into heaven is to help a hopeless nerd (Dempsey) lose his virginity at summer camp.

This is a Canadian tax write-off (as if you couldn't tell from Waxman in the credits) and it shows from the writing right down to the witless sight gags (dropping trou here is as sophisticated as it gets). Don't get all huffy, now: I like Canadian movies as much as the next guy, but not when they're this stupid.

What else can you say about a movie that under-utilizes Shannon Tweed as much as this one does?

Nothing good, that's for sure.

No stars for this one. Maybe someone should write Jason Voorhees to move to this camp.... Anyone got his address?

Yes it's camp, cheesy & corny nonetheless far away to be bad, 3.5 rating it means that many bitters placed lowest rating like 1-2 out 10, it conceals the downgrading so deeply, quite sure something around 5.5 shall be more appropriated, of Meatballs franchise I just watched this third sequel and fourth only, starting by the premise is shallow however effective at its proposal, all those gorgeous girls in a summer spot on soft sexploitation oriented delivers all the audience really expected.

The leading casting Sally Kellerman as porn film star died on action going into heaven has a final task back earth as spirit to be accepted there is clever purpose, the newbie Patrick Dempsey at his major role is plenty suitable, many funny sequences come over, mainly the filthy character Mean Geane (George Busa) was a right choice and his buddy Huey the Rat's leader (Maury Chaykin) as well, the producers have staked in the teenager offering as much near of PORKY's influence, the famous Shannon Tweed as Love Goddess just appearing at last sequence was a wasting.

It had a smashing success in Brazil aired many times on TV, in nineties it was released in VHS format only, unfortunately until now never come out in DVD, praying for it with dubbed classic version the entire franchise, fully restored of course, don't be fooled by the haters it's a funniest teenager entertainment that worthwhile revisit.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 5.5.