There are few phrases that inspire terror quite like “direct-to-video sequel.” Direct-to-video movies have had a bad reputation ever since there have been DTV sequels. The original Pulse is certainly not regarded as a cinematic masterpiece either, so things aren’t looking too promising for Pulse 3. But maybe, just maybe, it can buck the trend and end up being a good movie.
Pulse 3 starts seven years in the past (around the time that Pulse 2: Afterlife was set). Adam and his girlfriend Salwa have been living together almost a year, though they’ve never actually met in person. Their apartments are linked via a series of webcams and monitors that are running twenty-four hours a day, keeping them in constant contact (though fortunately there aren’t any bathroom cams). The two share some cute couple moments to establish their relationship before Salwa has to leave.
Later that day, Adam is asleep when Salwa calls out for help. She’s looking at some website that’s scaring her, and she can’t seem to stop looking at it. Adam is asleep though, and he fails to rouse from her calls. When he wakes up in the morning, Salwa comes on the screen, bids him goodbye, climbs a building and, ignoring Adam’s frantic pleas, jumps off (the latter part broadcast via her cellphone’s camera which she is holding at an incredible awkward angle so that we and Adam can actually see what’s going on). Unbelievable cell phone filming angle aside, it’s a powerful sequence.
Flash-forward seven years to the movie’s present. Those seven years have not been kind to humanity. 80% of the world’s population has been wiped out by the same force that made Salwa kill herself. The force may have been explained in detail in the first movie, but here it’s only mentioned in passing. Apparently, cell-phones and computers formed some kind of special electromagnetic field that trapped echoes of people upon their deaths. These echoes then went around draining something out of people, causing the drained people to commit suicide like someone just forced them to watch The Happening.
The people still left alive live in isolated pockets, struggling to survive. One remnant of civilization can be found in a small colony in West Texas. The people are hungry, scared, and generally lead miserable lives. Over the years, they have traded in their rational, justified fear of the phantoms (or whatever the hell they are) for an irrational fear of all things technology. They think that technology is a tool of Satan and dogmatically instill that belief into their children.
Justine, survivor from Pulse 2, is now seventeen and played by a different actress, Brittany Finamore (as the two films were shot one after the other, with only a weekend break between filming). Seventeen-year-old Justine hasn’t had her spirit broken, though. She’s been mopey and withdrawn ever since her parents died in the last movie, but she’s still curious about the world around her. So when Justine finds a laptop under the seat of a rusted out car, she has the courage to turn it on. And lo-and-behold, despite being covered in dirt, dust, and possibly moss and baking in the sun for years, the laptop works fine once she charges the battery. And she even able to pick up a weak wifi signal despite the fact it’s the middle of nowhere and there hasn’t been anyone to maintain or power the network for years.
Seconds after connecting to the Internet, Justine receives an instant message from Adam. He’s in Houston and he wants her to join him there. After chatting with Adam for a bit, and since she’s not exactly digging the shanty town lifestyle, Justine sneaks out of settlement and starts the long journey to Houston.
Pulse 3 is at its strongest when the phantoms are nowhere to be seen. The events of seven years ago have turned the world into a frightening, bitter, and desolate place. I would have loved to see an exploration of that world, with the phantoms no longer a threat. But we don’t get that in Pulse 3.
It seems like the more the phantoms are involved with the movie, the worse it gets. The phantoms themselves aren’t the problem; there are actually some nice moments with some of them. The problem is, the movie can’t decide what it wants to do with the phantoms. Are they pure instinct? Are they capable of moving beyond all the killing? Or are they malicious creatures out to hurt humanity? In theory, the movie explores these questions, but in practice, it feels like the screenwriter just couldn’t make up his mind.
This indecisiveness spills into the ending of the movie. In the interest of having a twist, there are actually three or four endings in the movie. And each additional ending serves to dilute the quality of the film just a little more. The movie should have ended on a hopeful note just after Justine gets out of the apartment building. With everything that came before, it would have been the most natural ending, and it probably would have boosted the film’s rating a full star.
In the end, it’s the missed opportunities that hurt Pulse 3 the most. Direct-to-DVD sequels aren’t known for their quality. And the original movie was hardly a classic to begin with. But Pulse 3 could have overcome that handicap. There was potential for a really good movie in Pulse 3‘s first act. It went downhill as the phantoms were worked into the story, but it still could have been a good movie if the ending were stronger. It’s disappointing because to see the movie’s potential go unfulfilled.
The video is presented in 1.78:1 ratio and is appropriately dark and gritty. The audio is in Dolby 5.1 Surround and sounds fine.
Trailers – Pulse, Feast, Pulse 2, Feast 2, The Wizard of Gore, and Diary of the Dead all are featured.
Audio Commentary – An audio commentary with writer/director Joel Soisson, producer Mike Leahy, actress Brittany Finamore, and editor Kirk Morri. It’s filled with a good deal of self-deprecating humor and they actually acknowledge flaws with the previous movies and make jokes about some of the ones in this one. Everyone seems to be having fun and it makes for an entertaining commentary track.
For some reason (perhaps someone said something they shouldn’t have?), there’s a brief statement (thirty seconds or so) about the limitations and dangers of green screen that is replayed a few minutes later. It doesn’t really hurt the commentary, but it’s odd.
Pulse 3 Behind-the-Scenes – A short behind-the-scenes piece.
Pulse 3 is not a good movie. But it does have good moments. If you are a fan of the previous Pulse movies, this one should satisfy you. Otherwise, you’ll probably want to take a pass on this one.
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Weinstein Company presents Pulse 3. Directed by Joel Soisson. Starring Brittany Finamore, Rider Strong, Todd Giebenhain, and Thomas Merdis. Written by Joel Soisson. Running time: 91 minutes. Rated NR. Released on DVD: December 23, 2008. Available at Amazon.
