Kien Navarro
Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Scarlet
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Scott LeBrun
This movie attempts to show us what would happen if you took some children *away* from the corn, as two Gatlin "siblings", Eli (Daniel Cerny), and Joshua (Ron Melendez), end up being adopted by a Chicago couple, William (Jim Metzler) and Amanda (Nancy Lee Grahn). The results are completely predictable. While Joshua, the older one, is the more innocent of the two (he's not *from* Gatlin, but moved there (!) with his father after the evil kids took over), the maniacal child preacher Eli takes control of the formerly apathetic student body at their school, and arranges for various adults to meet grisly ends. Naturally, it's up to Joshua to save the day.The first movie in this unlikely series sure wasn't any "good" to begin with, and this is no better. In fact, it's pretty laughable, but it's also pretty entertaining as far as *this* kind of genre entertainment goes. A bunch of serious looking actors gamely go with the flow as things get nutty and gory. Screaming Mad George supplies the decent makeup effects, although when he attempts to actually visualize He Who Walks Behind the Rows in the form of a cheesy monster, the movie *really* goes downhill quickly. Refreshingly, there are not too many characters here that are worth anybodys' sympathies. William, for example, proves to be sleazy and ambitious when he realizes that Eli is contriving a simply beautiful strain of corn in an unlikely environment.What makes this entry in the series worth watching is young Cerny. He won't make you forget John Franklin (Isaac in the first movie) anytime soon, but he's quite effective in the role of this evil kid. There are supporting roles and cameos for the likes of Johnny Legend, Yvette Freeman ('E.R.'), and Michael Ensign ("Ghost Busters", "Titanic" '97), as well as a super sexy leading lady in the form of Mari Morrow ("How to Be a Player", 'Family Matters').If you want fun horror that doesn't have to be *quality* horror, then this one might fit the bill.Seven out of 10.
drewgilbert
Children of the Corn 3 could've been the best film in the series until the terrible ending. Eli was the creepiest kid from the cornfields, and he really stole the show. The scene where he kills Father Nolan is one of the most disturbing I've seen involving a killer child. All of the actors were excellent and you could really feel for them. People think the change of scenery ruined things, but I thought it was interesting and refreshing. All of the deaths were dreadful, and the victims were innocent, unlike most characters in horror films. Then, came the last ten minutes or so. I think the creators wanted to pay homage to 50's and 60's horror films, but the attempt was futile. Too bad it couldn't have ended with an intense struggle between Eli and Josh. After all, the followers were once gang members, and they could've attacked Josh more. Josh fighting off T-Loc and stabbing him with his own switchblade would've been great. Eli being stabbed once without his bible in front of him. Maybe even have one of his arm's whacked off. He could just regenerate like the corn and be good as new. I suggest watching this film and shutting it off after Eli is destroyed.
Mr_Censored
"Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest" is a somewhat tacky and unnecessary sequel to the moderately successful Stephen King adaptation and its slightly under-rated sequel.In the film, two youths from Gatlin (the setting of the first two films) are taken in by a yuppie couple in Chicago. The older of the two fits in relatively well, but the younger has plans of his own. Planting a corn field in the abandoned property next door, he creeps out his adoptive parents and eventually converts the entire teenage population to his maze worshipping cult.Despite a predictable plot that seems to be missing chunks (at what point did Eli win over his peers?), dodgy special effects and wooden performances by its relatively unknown cast, the film is moderately enjoyable for what it is. If you want to see some brutal and over-the-top death scenes committed by vegetation, then "Children of the Corn III" hardly disappoints. Elsewhere, however, the film comes up short, and that's all there really is to it.The film was dumped in theaters briefly in 1994 before being thrust into complete oblivion, making room for four direct-to-video sequels and a made-for-TV remake. Look closely, and you'll spot Charlize Theron in her very first role as an extra.
Illyngophobia
I didn't really have a beef with this one. We have two brothers.Eli and Joshua.After their father disappears,they move to the city to meet their new guardians.They get sent to a religious school,ran by Father Nolan.Over time,we find out that Eli isn't sane in the head.He starts growing a corn field in an abandoned warehouse to summon He Who Walks Behind The Rows,and controls the other students in the school by bugs in the food.Josh joins forces with his friends Maria,Malcom and Father Nolan to stop Eli and destroy H.W.W.B.T.R.The plot itself is okay.And it later explains how the corn spread.We also learn a bit more about how and why they killed the adults.The death scenes weren't too bad.The one con I did see is how cheesy and bad the effects were.The corn demon looked like a wax figure and when it lifted people up,they looked like dolls.The other effects looked like some Adobe accident on crack.Other than that,it wasn't that bad.
