Richard Fleischer never directed a truly bad movie. He always stretches for originality and his films are so different one from the other. I think this one is highly underrated. If you watch it with an open mind and do not expect it all to make perfect sense you may be surprised about how much you can enjoy it. The 3 D approach gives us some very interesting perspective shots. The dialogues are well written and develop some intriguing ideas. There are echoes of Hitchcock in human/animals interaction. Also some of the scenes could have inspired the Final Destination franchise. There are some very skeptical characters, and that gives the film more credibility. As a curiosity factor, we have a very young Meg Ryan in a funny role. However, I must say: the ending is a little over the top, too absurd for it's own sake. It is like the movie suddenly becomes a total guilty pleasure. But, hey, that is not a bad thing if you enjoy campy, goofy fun. Simply adjust your mind frame for a sudden change of mood and go along for the ride. I have been postponing to watch this one because of the bad ratings and reviews here on Imdb, but today I thought of giving it a chance because I love the director's filmography. I could not be more pleased to acknowledge that Richard Fleischer has not disappointed me yet. Ignore the ratings, take the risk and judge for yourself. This a decent haunted house story with interesting ideas and creative concepts. It tried to do something different and that is always commendable.
Review of Amityville 3-D
