This is about as low as sequels go. At least for third rate horror franchises. “Ghoulies” was never sure what the hell it ever wanted to be, and “Goes to College” shows. The third part in the series shows them as nothing more than annoying little monsters that wreak havoc by inflicting pain, though never really murdering anyone. In fact they’re really nothing but third wheels in what feels like a stale campus comedy about prank wars with the Ghoulies attached for a wider audience. Before the ghoulies actually pop out to terrorize people, “Ghoulies Goes to College” watches like a fourth rate “Revenge of the Nerds” wannabe, about two warring frats and their ever lasting prank war.
There’s also poor Kevin McCarthy, who plays the professor of the college angered by the students. In order to get back at them, his accidental seizing of the comic that controls the Ghoulies, turns him in to a power hungry sorcerer who really wants these college students to die a painful death. And who can blame him? The entire cast is filled with forgettable broad comedy stereotypes, all of whom seem more invested in prank wars than getting an education. But hey, at least the ghoulies speak this time. And they love to drink beer and wreck stuff, so they’re perfectly comfortable lurking around college. They also manage to own some college clothing, which they don in a few scenes. Who knew colleges sold their clothing for three foot tall people? There’s never an indication if these creatures are evil or just anti-heroes, but they are used for nefarious purposes by McCarthy’s character with their comic.
They’re unearthed once again when a spell book that looks like a comic book is left behind in the college bathroom’s wall. One of the frat’s pranksters is writing on the wall when he chips the wall and discovers the comic. Of course, as with all ancient texts, he begins reading aloud the incantations (has anyone ever heard of reading to yourself?) and the ghoulies are back from the bowels of the toilet bowls. Truly, if you wan to see the Ghoulies finally being creepy little hell raisers, “Ghoulies III” is the sequel you’ll want to go to. The former films in the series have all been leading in to this third entry, where they’re really just demonic frat boys with nastier personalities. Most fans of the movie will try to pass this off as a spoof of some kind, but really this is eighties horror in through the out door. It’s definitely trash, but its still fun trash with an eighties pop. I highly suggest chasing this with “Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama.”