Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		2.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 2, 2015

Who knew there was such a demand for “Class of Nuke ‘Em High” sequels? Troma Entertainment, never a film studio to let anything die a peaceful death, returns to the world of mutant madness with 1994’s “Class of Nuke ‘Em High 3: The Good, The Bad and the Subhumanoid.” Making a final push to make this premise profitable, Troma waters down their traditional serving of pure excess, trying to find a narrative path that welcomes B-movie chaos and dramatic interests, going so far as to use a William Shakespeare play (“The Comedy of Errors”) for inspiration. It’s an ambitious move, and one that manages to find a sense of stability to the franchise, but nothing in the Troma universe remains still for long. “The Good, The Bad and the Subhumanoid” quickly degenerates into noisy bits of comedy and horror, while a host of storytelling choices render the picture tiring, especially with a run time that’s a good 30 minutes longer than it needs to be.

After the Nukamama Nuclear Power Plant has been destroyed by Tromie, a giant mutated squirrel, the citizens of Tromaville look to rebuild their way of life, which is now divided between the humans and the subhumanoids. Rising up to claim power with mutant force is Dr. Slag (John Tallman), an evil man who looks to dominate the community with help from Professor Holt (Lisa Gaye), who’s knowledgeable in the ways of breeding human/subhumanoid hybrids. Tromaville guardian Roger (Brick Bronsky) becomes mayor of the town, and he’s the father of Adlai (Bronksy), a hybrid who’s developed into an adult male in just two years, finding his calling as a hero with a special glowing hand. However, there’s a twin to be reckoned with, as Dick (Bronsky) has been raised under Dr. Slag’s wicked influence, programmed to kill all that’s good and peaceful, targeting the Tromaville Institute of Technology for destruction, backed by a gang of vicious mutants.

In a very strange choice, “The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid” is entirely narrated by Adlai, who provides a running commentary for everything to be found in the movie. The character’s help getting viewers up to speed with all things “Class of Nuke ‘Em High” in the opening of the film is understandable, and the feature spends an enormous amount of time recounting the events of the last sequel, with emphasis on Tromie and his wily ways of destruction, which caused pandemonium throughout Tromaville. The entire concept of the subhumanoids is refreshed as well, walking through Roger’s previous adventures and his romantic connection to a mutant, resulting in most problematic pregnancy. And yet, Adali doesn’t stop with the past, continuing to explain on-screen events throughout the entire viewing experience, hinting that rough cut of “The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid” ran for days, not hours, demanding an arduous editorial challenge that found the production cleaving entire sections out of the plot, using the character’s breathless description as a way to link together different areas of the story. Not that anything here is supposed to make sense, but Troma uses a substantial amount of hand-holding to keep the effort moving along.

“The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid” is a great many things, but the overall thrust of the plot is basic good vs. evil, pitting Adlai against Dick, who’s being controlled by Dr. Slag. There’s a twin-centric duality the writing toys with, but the sibling aspect is primarily employed to expand the mayhem, with Adlai a boll weevil-loving “child” who’s involved with his gaseous wet nurse, Trish (Lisa Star), coming to terms with his glowing hand, which is capable of heroic acts. He stops a nuclear meltdown and develops purpose, contrasting Dick’s reign of terror, finding his own glowing hand helping to trigger disaster, with the ghoul backed by a monster squad of fire-belching creeps out to decimate Tromaville. While Bronsky doesn’t vary much while juggling three roles, he’s game to go wherever Louzil leads, leaving most of “The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid” to extended scenes of broad reaction and comedic violence, finding plenty of goopy events cooked up to keep the fanbase happy. Nudity is big here as well, with Star primarily employed to take off her top whenever possible, continuing the skin-baring parade that began in the last sequel.

Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "The Good, the Bad and the Sunbhumanoid" arrives in expectedly uneven condition for a Troma title, boasting nuclear colors that support the Day-Glo palette, isolating extravagant costuming and make-up design. Primaries come through clearly, while skintones remain natural. Overall, detail is passable, finding acceptable textures on facial particulars and monster events, and set decoration is easily surveyed. Distances are preserved to satisfaction. Delineation is fine for this level of b-movie cinematography, securing night interactions and dense fabrics. Artifacts are common, including a general noisiness to the image. Source offers speckling and mild scratches, but no overt damage.

Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 Dolby Digital sound mix is your standard low-impact Troma track, presented without range and limited definition. Dialogue exchanges aren't impossible to follow, but clarity isn't a priority, finding all zaniness slapped together with a degree of muddiness. Scoring is buried deep, rarely permitted room to breathe, with limited instrumentation to be found. While hiss and pops are present (volume levels are inconsistent as well), most troubling is semi-loud buzzing that runs through the entire listening experience, erasing any chance the movie has for a silent moment.

Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (4:26, HD) offers a hearty welcome from Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman, who emphasizes the cinematic history of twin-based stories before introducing a montage of naked breasts. As to be expected with a Troma production, the intro ends with excessive chroma key work and wrestling (The Toxic Avenger joins the fun as the referee).

• Commentary features director Eric Louzil.

• Interview (13:44, HD) sits down with actress Lisa Gaye, with Kaufman questioning the performer about her history with Troma and her initial audition process (fun fact: Troma has an audition process). It's a mild chat, but Gaye is comfortable sharing her thoughts on nudity and Ron Jeremy's attempt to seduce her during one of their screen pairings.

• And a Trailer (2:26, SD) is included.

Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jokes consistently fall flat in "The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid," but rarely does the film notice. It's a typical scattergun production from Troma, investing in big color, loud sounds, and demented performances, while the story covers all the company essentials, including cackling villainy and all things tied to the reproductive system (someday, I need a Troma fan to explain to me what the company's obsession with abortion is all about). However, as continuation of the "Class of Nuke 'Em High" saga, there isn't much to the movie that encourages deeper consideration, with more attention placed on dreary gags and bloated plotting than pace, finding the 101 minute run time absolute imprisonment once the twins gimmick is exploited in full. "Class of Nuke 'Em High 3: The Good, the Bad and the Subhumanoid" is easily the worst chapter of the still-ongoing series, but when one is dealing with Troma and their tireless quest to make a screen mess, expectations are rarely high.