Meatballs III: Summer Job

I used to think Meatballs III was the best in the series. But after a while, I realized I was wrong. None of the films are actually all that funny, save Bill Murray's humor as head camp counselor in the first film with much of the funniest lines being that which he calls over the loud speakers.

Part II involved some kind of Martian thing hiding among the campers. It was hardly funny at all, and possibly the only saving grace was Paul Rubens.

Part IV stars Corey Feldman, and well, you know what a horrible movie that turns out to be right there.

Part III was never like a camp counselor movie. Dempsey plays a hopeless teenager working at a summer hot spot. As a nerdy kid, he's desperate for a girlfriend, which requires the guide of a ghost woman played by Sally Kellerman. Poor Dempsey, he falls in love with the beautiful wife of a giant biker with a knack for tossing guys out of the window. In fact, it starts up a contest among the locals--how long would it take for brave young contender making his way to the wife's bedroom before that monster biker tosses him out of the window.

This is more like a movie that could be, if at all, appreciated by fans of Patrick Dempsey's 80s work. Although, I'd consider myself a fan of his earlier work and still don't enjoy this movie. It's not really all that funny outside of a few minor antics and the quirky attitude of Sally Kellerman.

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.

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.

I can't believe the myriad of negative comments and reviews I've seen for "Meatballs III". It, like most other Canadian summer-camp movies, are meant to provide cheap laughs in a stupid way and weren't really made for people to analyze the plot, character development, etc. If you don't like sophomoric humor, then you should have known better than to watch it in the first place. Not everybody likes the trite, dry, boring humor of typical big-production films. Movies like "Meatballs III" provide relief from such ennui.

I remember seeing "Meatballs III" on USA back around 1990, and have loved it since, especially because back then I was still a teenager and this is the kind of movie that a teenage boy would probably like. I remember while watching it my mom came downstairs and told me to turn off "that garbage", and I liked it even more.

On a side note, there was an episode of SNL (when Jeff Goldblum hosted) in 1993 where David Spade, as Karl the video store clerk, recommends "Meatballs III" to Rob Schneider. Of course I had to laugh at that.

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?