Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (pt 3)

:catch Part 1 here and Part 2 here:

Now, about the third film.  Yes, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning is set in the 19th century.  Yes, that sounds very silly.  How in the hell have two girls dealing with werewolves in the modern era  suddenly found themselves stuck in the mid-1800’s fighting werewolves at a Canadian trade post?  The answer: there isn’t really one.  Toward the latter third of the film there are allusions to reincarnation and curses passed through families, but the film doesn’t force this idea and there aren’t any time travel shenanigans.  It just is.

So I’ll say this: if you had never seen the first two films and watched this one, it could stand on its own – which is respectable.

Alternatively, if you have seen the first two Ginger Snaps films, but can suspend the issue of the 19th century, you’ll have a good time.  The same actresses return for this third round and even some actors from the first two films return in new roles, adding to the reincarnation/family curses notion.  The werewolf special effects get more screen time than the previous films, and just like the other two films, part of this one’s watchability is owing to the quality writing: you never know what’s going to happen.  At worst, it’s a good episode of the X-Files during its early days, which is still high praise.  The film almost closes the circle of female sexuality (Ginger Snaps: Menstruation.  Ginger Snaps Unleashed: Sex.  Ginger Snaps Back: giving birth/child rearing) via a young boy that Ginger befriends (in a way), but the film never takes up that torch.  Too bad.

Really, this is the Army of Darkness of the series, with heroes in  both films fighting monsters in their respective pasts.  Ginger Snaps 3 just has less Boom Stick.

Considering the premise, it could have been a lot worse.  Good, but not as great as the first two.

Complete roundup tomorrow.