Scary Movie 3 (2003)

Most people think so. 81% of audiences gave it a thumbs up, by Google's archived audience score. Critics scored it lower at 42%, but audiences disagreed.

In the third installment of the Scary Movie franchise, news anchorwoman Cindy Campbell has to investigate mysterious crop circles and killing video tapes, and help the President stop an alien invasion in the process. Wikipedia ↗

Scary Movie 3 is a 2003 American parody comedy directed by David Zucker, taking the franchise in a new direction after Keenen Ivory Wayans departed. The film spoofed The Ring, Signs, 8 Mile, and The Matrix Reloaded, with Anna Faris returning as Cindy Campbell, now a television reporter investigating mysterious crop circles and a cursed videotape simultaneously. Charlie Sheen appeared as a widowed farmer whose corn fields attract alien attention.

David Zucker, a pioneer of the parody genre through Airplane! and The Naked Gun, brought his slapstick-heavy, rapid-fire joke approach to the franchise, resulting in a PG-13 rated film that was significantly less crude than the Wayans brothers' installments. The shift to Zucker's broader, more family-friendly comedy style divided fans but proved commercially effective. Scary Movie 3 earned $220 million worldwide on a $48 million budget.

The film confirmed the franchise's enduring commercial viability and demonstrated the property's appeal to global audiences, solidifying its place in the modern entertainment landscape and paving the way for future installments.