Happy Father's Day! - Stepfather 3

 

Wightman was in a no-win situation following the great O'Quinn. Plus, "Gene" took the teeth of a damned hammer directly to the chest (on top of a cake knife stab to the chest) and collapsed clearly dead on the floor as he was bleeding out. In this third film, though, we actually see The Stepfather (as Keith Grant) romancing another woman (Susan Hubley) while married to a new family (Priscilla Barnes, who does what she can with the role given). It is always that nagging kid (David Tom) that doesn't trust you in these movies that get in the way. Well, besides the psychosomatic kid in the wheelchair with an addiction to computer sleuthing, there is the boss who gets too nosy for his own good (of course) and the priest who realizes also that Keith Grant might not be the wholesome family man he projects.

Perhaps this job is better suited for The Stepfather instead of a real estate agent or psychiatrist, with the more blue collar gardening role allowing him to use the talents with his hands. Though, his past (and volatility, instability, psychopathy, and serial killing) won't ever be too far behind, nor his need to find the perfect family. It will all come crashing down because The Stepfather will always come apart at the seams...the guy's a maniac after all.

Way, way too long. No reason this should be any longer than 80 minutes. A third film in a series of films that really didn't even need a sequel (Jerry clearly appeared dead in the first film), why they felt the need to stretch out "Stepfather 3" to this length is beyond me. And Wightman, even with plastic surgery, looks absolutely nothing like O'Quinn. No matter the updating in facial features would the best in plastic surgery reshape O'Quinn into Wightman. There is a scene where the kid uses his computer, scanner, and camera to composite a likeness comparison while The Stepfather notices it through a crack in the bedroom door...the film really goes to work on getting The Stepfather into a pickle. But as a Stepfather movie, the key for him getting out of trouble is to kill anyone looking to take him down. They also brought back the whistled Camptown Races and even a bit of the previous sequel's closing musical theme.

This has all kinds of Lifetime thriller movie vibes. All those adult psychos and the children trying to stop them. The look and music even really bring those vibes. There is even the funeral of the murdered priest on Father's Day as The Stepfather appears mighty cheerful while his wife and stepkid mourn.