Southland Tales Part III: The Mechanicals (2007)

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils comic Southland Tales Part III: The Mechanicals (2007).

Third part is last comic. Following parts are in movie. This part basically introduces last players and set the scene for the movie. After reading this, it is clear, that I haven't seen best version of the movie. That may be the Cannes cut. Dvd and blu ray cuts don't continue everything, that was in comics. If movie should be continuation of comics, it should have much more in it. Dvd and blu ray cuts are meant to seen by themselves. Comics give more information on what is happening.

I complained in earlier parts, how Krysta Now doesn't know she is psychic, but acts like she knows the future. Well in this part, it is told, she has worked as professional psychic. Fluid Karma is also explained. It is mysterious fluid drilled from Serpentine Drift. It works as receiver for wireless energy and as drug when you inject it into human. As a drug it also connects users telepathicly. That is why military tested it on soldiers. One of the test subjects was Roland Taverner. Another one was Pilot Abilene, the narrator of the movie. Roland and Pilot were friends. During one of the tests Roland throws grenade close to Pilot. Explosion injures Pilot and Roland can't forgive himself.

Script of The Power starts to mix more and more with reality. Every comic has part of script. In first part is like regular script. In second it start to have real persons in it. In this one it start to have real people and events in it. Script has Martin Kefauver, who will pull the trigger in script. We will get back to it later. Script also has strange dream like part, where main female character blames Krysta Now for destroying her life. That part is kind of genius, when you start to think about it. Writer adds her porn star alter ego to her script of movie, in which she plans to play main female character. Like confessing that she doesn't want to be porn star anymore.

We are briefly introduced to Frost family. Daughter Madeline is married to Boxer Santaros. Father Bobby is running for vice president and mother Nana Mae is head of USIDent. Boxer's disappearance affects to Bobby's campaign. Neo-Marxists want to use Boxer to destroy Bobby's campaign. Frost's are shown in this comic running on religious themes. Prayer is their solution for problems. At least when they are in media. Frost's are aligned themselves with Baron von Westphalen. Not everyone in Frost's camp are happy with that. They think, he is Neo-Marxist and out to destroy them. Others in camp feel, that they have no other choise.

Then to things, that were cut from movie. Military is working with Westphalen. Some officers like Simon Theory knows what is going on. They know that Westphalen is trying to get USIDent and Neo-Marxists fighting against each others. Theory has big role on background. He is called as dungeon master. He has a small role in movie, but in this comic he has bigger role. In comic privates have some understanding that end is coming. It is not told, how they know that or who else knows.

Neo-Marxists have infiltrated to USIDent. They have moles there. One mole has an affair with Nana Mae Frost. Neo-Marxists are running election scam, where people cut of their thumbs to vote hundred times. I fail to understand, why thumbs need to be cut off. That wasn't explained. I mean Neo-Marxists cut their own thumbs off. Cutting other people's thumbs would have made more sense.

Drilling of Fluid Karma has slowed earth rotation. "Green power" replacing fossile fuels, is causing more problems than fossil fuels. Movie also tells Fluid Karma's effect on rotation speed, but doesn't tell about drilling. Drift to fourth dimension was found, when jet fly into it and everyone inside lost their memory. There were no explanations, how drift appeared. Some hints to Fluid Karma is given, but no-one knows, what  caused the drift. In the end Fortunia Balducci started to work for Westphalen. That explains his actions in movie little better now, when we also know, that Westphalen's goal is to make USIDent and Neo-Marxist to fight against each others.

As a comics these are one of the better ones. Richard Kelly is a good storyteller and Brett Weldele's art suit the story. Putting script of "The Power" to comic was interesting experiment that worked. I recommend checking these comics too. Comics explained many thing movie didn't explain. Only bad thing is, now I want more comics and longer cut of the movie.