Phillemos Review of Xtro 3: Watch the Skies

Xtro 3: Watch the Skies (1995)

At the rate we're going, "Xtro 4" should rate about a negative-2

[2/10 · 20 August 2006]

"Xtro" was a pretty good, albeit strange, little cult horror movie. "Xtro 2" had nothing to do with the original and is basically a derivative "Alien" movie, but was still reasonably fun for mindless entertainment. "Xtro 3" has nothing to do with either "Xtro" or "Xtro 2," which left itself open pretty nicely for a sequel. I wish X-3 picked up where X-2 left off. Unfortunately, "Xtro 3" is just flat-out terrible. Where to begin? It's very slow. We're about 30 minutes into the movie before there's any sign of aliens, mayhem, whatever. When you do get to the aliens, you're pretty disappointed because they are the dumbest looking aliens you'll ever see. I realize they can become invisible and also have some other powers in their little alien bag of tricks, but you take one look at them and you just feel like a group of military folks (even ones like the misfits we so clearly have here) ought to have been ransacked these aliens in and out of this secluded island in about 5 minutes. If these aliens are so advanced, how come they were stuck on this island for 40 years? And there's other ridiculousness associated with this movie. Like when Banta gets stuck in the aliens' sticky web and the guys sit around for two days debating whether to go try to rescue her, all while they can clearly see from afar that the aliens are trying to conduct experiments on her. Then, one of them finally decides to shoot at them and from long range, and hits Banta and kills her instead. (Banta was kind of hot, so that's why I'm a little more outraged about this scene.) Why not confront the aliens at close range? Anyway, I'm not sure why I feel like this movie doesn't deserve the lowest rating -- maybe it's Banta -- but I'm feeling somewhat generous so I'll give "Xtro 3" a 2 out of 10.