Stranger Things 3

Creator(s) - Matt Duffer (Hidden, Eater) and Ross Duffer (Wayward Pines, The Milkman)

Starring - Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes, Godzilla vs. Kong), Finn Wolfhard (It, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and Winona Ryder (Edward Scissorhands, Alien: Resurrection)

Release Date - 2019

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "One summer can change everything"

Format - Streaming (Netflix)

Rating (out of 5):

     When Stranger Things 4 was released I realized that I had missed several seasons.  I fucking loved the first season and watched it several times.  However, when I started season 2 I found myself halfway through the season and not enjoying myself.  I forgot about it until the release of Stranger Things 4 reminded me that I needed to get caught up.  I was able to finish the season and quickly moved on to Stranger Things 3 where I felt the same way as I did with Stranger Things 2.  It was hard to make it passed the middle of the season but once I did I found myself enjoying it.  That mid-season hump is real with this show.

     The film follows the gang after the events of season 2.  A new indoor mall has opened and life seems normal for a very short time.  The gate that Eleven closed left behind a part of the Mind Flayer and now the Russians have built a testing facility under the mall where they are attempting to open the gate again.  It's up to Hopper and the group to stop the Mind Flayer and the Russians.

     Stranger Things 3 does exactly what 2 did.  It takes the viewers deeper into the story that was already established while bringing even more characters into the mix.  I like the characters so don't take that the wrong way but it suffers from the same problems that Avengers: Infinity War did.  Too many characters and not enough story.  It's great but problemed.  The acting in this one is just as good as the other seasons.  There is no weak links and all the characters well written giving the cast so much to work with.  This amazing cast and lovable characters is the series weakness.  There is so many amazing performances and memorable characters.  The story for this one picks up a little after the last season and does a fantastic job at continuing the story.  We have a fantastic addition of the Cold War scare with the Russians opening the gate to the upside down.  The introduction of the new characters does take away from the story but not enough to make it unlikable.  Finally, the series once again delivers some great visual and practical effects.  The visual compliments the practical effects which is something you rarely see as effective as it is here.  I'm not really a fan of the giant monster but it doesn't necessarily look that back.  Overall, Stranger Things 3 is another step forward from Stranger Things.  It's a lot of fun if you stick with it but the mid-season hump is fucking steep for sure.  Check it out but don't expect something as fun as the first season.