It didn't have to end this way.  I enjoyed the first two films of the Porky's series, but with Porky's Revenge, it's apparent that the series has run out of steam.  The biggest reason for this is behind the camera.  Bob Clark wasn't here to direct or even write, but instead we get James Komack, a man who has directed some good television shows (such as the "Star Trek" episode "A Piece of the Action") but wasn't prepared to take the reigns of a series that was on a roll.  Writer Ziggy Steinberg made some bad decisions in scripting this story.  My biggest problem is the absence of characters Mickey, Tim, Steve and Frank, which depleted this close-knit circle of friends.

The movie begins, as the other two films did, with Pee Wee (Dan Monahan) waking up in bed to start another day at Angel Beach High.  Most of the plot centers around the state championship basketball game, with Angel Beach finally making it after a long absence.  Meat (Tony Ganios) isn't doing so well in biology, and if he doesn't pass a test, he can't play basketball.  He's a vital link in the team, so he and friends Pee Wee, Tommy (Wyatt Knight), Billy (Mark Herrier) and Brian (Scott Colomby) sneak into a teacher's home to find the test.  This is one of the reasons why this film doesn't work.  Sure, these guys have committed some questionable acts before, but breaking into someone's house and stealing a test seems beneath even these guys.

When the guys find out about a gambling bet, and that their coach promised to throw the game because Porky (Chuck Mitchell) blackmailed him, the guys spring into action to help the coach.  While driving along, the guys see a girl having car troubles.  Meat gets out to help, but the driver turns out to be Blossom (Wendy Feign), a girl with big braces, and Porky's daughter.

Porky now runs a riverboat casino, but he has always wanted to get revenge because of what the guys did to his nightclub.  He sees the opportunity to get that revenge by forcing Meat to marry his daughter.  The guys, along with Wendy (Kaki Hunter), must rescue Meat and unleash one final act of revenge against their old nemesis.

There are some funny sequences to be found.  I particularly liked the pool party that doesn't go so well for the basketball team, and the prank the guys play on Miss Balbricker (Nancy Parsons).  In the middle of their pranks, the guys even do good for the gym teacher, and hook her up with an old flame.

Unfortunately, the steady stream of laughter isn't present here.  That's because too much attention is paid to the story (!), rather than presenting more of the kinds of scenes that have made this series work.  I'm not saying to copy the first two films, but rather remain in the same spirit.  The raunchiness is gone, making this the tamest of the three films.  There is also the casting of Kim Evenson as Inga, a Swedish foreign exchange student.  Miss Evenson was a Playboy Playmate, but other than flashing her breasts, she's not used for anything else.

The final joke, which takes place during graduation day, is poorly executed.  As a result, Porky's Revenge doesn't end on a high note.  This movie could have sent the series off with a bang.  Here is a series that has fleshed out some likable teenage characters, put them through some hysterical situations, allowed them to take action against corrupt people and made their actions memorable.  What we get, though, is Porky's Revenge, a weak end to a trilogy with enormous potential.

© 2003 Silver Screen Reviews