WILD THINGS (1998) was a B-movie surprise and its sequel was an above-average rehash, but this third entry in the series is a barely passable time-waster whose unknown cast is likely to rain so. Curvaceous, orphaned, 18-year-old Marie Clifton (Sarah Laine) can't bear living with her lecherous stepfather, Jay (Brad Johnson), who's constantly trying to molest her schoolmates and cheat her out of her mother's considerable fortune. Unable to focus at school, Marie keeps getting into scrapes with juvenile delinquents like Ilena Sandoval (Sandra McCoy), who earns her tuition as a towel girl at the country club pool. After having consensual sex with Ray, Ilena tells her probation officer, Kristen Richards (Dina Meyer), that he raped her. Kristen in turn persuades Detective Michael Morrison (Linden Ashby) that Ilena's accusations have substance and Jay is arrested. Marie feigns concern for Ray and offers to pay off Ileana by allowing him to fence her late mother's diamonds; all he has to do in return is sign away future claims on the estate. It never occurs to Jay that Marie and Ileana are secret allies, or that they're in cahoots with forensics specialist Dr. Chad Johnson (Ron Melendez), who doctored Ileana’s rape kit. But Marie
soon realizes that Jay has replaced the priceless gems with paste replicas, and once Detective Morrison begins to realize the conspirators are connected, Dr. Johnson becomes expendable. As the culprits turn against each other, Marie turns to a formidable silent partner. The target audience for this pulpy trifle knows to expect devious twists, but screenwriters Ross Helford and Andy Hurst can't keep up with the expectation of ever more startling plot surprises. Moreover, stars Laine and McCoy seem more like perky cheerleaders than amoral vixens, a serious liability in a film whose appeal rests largely on the promises of sizzling bisexual thrills. --Robert Pardi
