YMMV / 3 from Hell

• Contested Sequel: Opinions are split on this entry. Some see it as the best of Zombie's Firefly Trilogy, with praise going towards the expansion on the Firefly family and extensive gore and suspense. Others see it as the weakest of the 3, criticizing the lack of Captain Spaulding (which couldn't be helped due to Sid Haig's health problems), the Excuse Plot to get characters that formerly died back to do nothing but kill and the overriding Plot Armour that turns the Fireflies into Invincible Villains that win at every turn. Then there are those who still see it as a more coherent film than Corpses, but not on the same caliber as Rejects.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Foxy Coltrane, in a rare example of a Convenient Replacement Character achieving this status instead of becoming a Replacement Scrappy. He may not be Captain Spaulding (and indeed, many fans still wish the latter could have featured more prominently in the film), but Foxy managed to gain a fanbase of his own due to the strength of Richard Brake's performance and his chemistry with the rest of the cast.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Due to Sid Haig's health complications he wasn't able to play Captain Spaulding throughout the whole movie, and the character was sentenced to death early on. A week after the movie was released, Sid Haig passed away.
  • As well, the later scene where Otis and Baby briefly talk about Spaulding being dead hits a lot harder in light of the above. If one watches the scene with the knowledge that Sid Haig is no longer alive, it almost feels like the actors themselves are lamenting a lost family member.
  Otis: The old bastard had a pretty good run. Did more living than most fuckers.
• Heartwarming Moment: When Sebastian gives Baby breakfast she remarks that he reminds her of her brother Tiny and how the two are similar because of their oddities. While the scene looks like it'll play out as Baby mocking Sebastian for his strange appearance (his face even indicates that he's bracing for harsh insults), she instead states how she still saw her brother as beautiful and that he was special because of his deformed figure, which was enough to help cheer Sebastian up. It's a sweet moment from an otherwise horrific and crazy movie.
• It's the Same, So It Sucks: The plot involves three serial killers on the run, who terrorize a group they've held captive, escape to an apparent safe shelter, get betrayed by their hosts after a night of partying, find themselves held captive by the relative of an old foe who's seeking revenge, and manage to escape and turn the tables on their captor. The heavy similarities to the much better-received Rejects did not go unnoticed, and the film received criticism that Zombie obviously wanted to bring back the characters without knowing what to do with them.
• Narm: You would think that after ten years in prison, Otis would have a better retort for Harper than what basically amounts to No, You.
  Otis: Do you remember the first words you ever spoke to me, Virg?
  Harper: No.
  Otis: No? The big man doesn't remember? You said, "This is my death factory and you are the product." Well, guess what, motherfucker? This is my death factory and you are the product.
• One-Scene Wonder: For the one scene he has at the beginning of the film, Captain Spaulding made quite the impression on many viewers.
• Tear Jerker:
  • Shockingly, one for the Firefly family. When hiding out in Mexico after escaping the law, Baby reminisces about how she misses Captain Spaulding, which then expands to the rest of the Firefly family they lost throughout their encounters. It's one of the rare moments that showcases this sick family at their most vulnerable, especially after Baby questions if it's worth continuing to do what they're doing.
  • The death of Captain Spaulding is this both in and out of universe. In universe the Firefly family lost another close member who's been by their side for years. Out of universe it hits two ways. First for the fact that fans are losing an Ensemble Dark Horse to the first two films due to Sid Haig's health causing him to step down from the role. The second, much more tragic reason, is that Sid Haig would later pass away not too long after the movie came out, making it one of his last onscreen appearances in film altogether.
• Too Bleak, Stopped Caring: Like the previous movie, this is basically Evil Versus Evil the movie. Our leads are still the same sociopathic, bloodthirsty scumbags, and now they're up against a satanic cartel that are also sociopathic, bloodthirsty scumbags. That, combined with the gory violence and sadistic nature of the film, makes it hard to care how the story gets resolved. (Although at this point in the series a large chunk of viewers are rooting for the Firefly Family regardless.)

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