''Critters 3'' is a 1991 American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

film and the third installment of the '' Critters'' series, directed by Kristine Peterson. The film stars Aimee Brooks,

John Calvin John Calvin (; ; ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French Christian theology, theologian, pastor and Protestant Reformers, reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of C ...

, Katherine Cortez, Don Keith Opper, and

Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...

in his film debut. It was shot simultaneously (from February to July 1991) with its sequel, '' Critters 4''. Unlike the first two films, it does not take place in the town of Grover's Bend.

Plot

Sometime after the events in '' Critters 2: The Main Course'', Charlie MacFadden is tracking down the last of the Critters. A family of three – Annie (the main protagonist), Johnny (her little brother) and Clifford (the father) – stops at a rest stop when their car's tire pops. At the rest stop, Charlie warns them and Josh, the stepson of a corrupt landlord, about the Critters. As this happens, a Critter lays eggs under the family's car and the family leaves, unknowingly taking the eggs with them. Soon after they arrive at their tenement, the Critters hatch and attack the sleazy maintenance man, Frank. When the landlord arrives, he too is eaten by the Critters. Josh locks the landlord in Clifford's room, unknowingly trapping his stepfather with the creatures. Next, one of the residents is attacked and wounded. Annie, her family and five others (including Josh) try to get to safety in one piece by getting to the roof of the building. Charlie arrives and destroys the remaining Critters, saving the remaining tenants. The film ends in a cliffhanger as Charlie is about to destroy two Critter eggs, but is ordered not to and a containment pod sent from the Intergalactic Council crashes into the basement.

Cast

Release

The film was released

by New Line Home Video on December 11, 1991. New Line Home Entertainment released it on DVD in 2003. It was also re-released in a set containing four films on DVD by Warner Bros. in 2010. Scream Factory, a subsidiary of Shout! Factory, released the four films as part of "The Critters Collection" on

Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...

. The set was available from November 27, 2018.

Reception

Review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

gives the film an approval rating of 0%, based on reviews from seven critics, with an average rating of 2.8/10.

References

External links

* * {{Kristine Peterson 1990s American films 1990s English-language films 1991 films 1990s monster movies 1990s science fiction comedy films 1990s science fiction horror films 1991 comedy horror films 1991 direct-to-video films American comedy horror films American monster movies American science fiction horror films Direct-to-video sequel films Puppet films Films set in apartment buildings Films set in Los Angeles Films shot in Los Angeles New Line Cinema direct-to-video films Critters (franchise) Films directed by Kristine Peterson Films about landlords Films scored by David C. Williams 1991 science fiction films English-language comedy horror films English-language science fiction horror films English-language science fiction comedy films