Nemesis 3: Time Lapse (also known as Prey Harder) is a 1996 action sci-fi movie written and directed by Albert Pyun. This is the third entry in Pyun's Nemesis movie series which started in 1992. Part two, Nebula, changed the protagonist from Alex Rain to buff lady Alex Sinclair played by Sue Price, who would go on to reprise her role in part three, four and five. This third entry was shot back-to-back with part two, using the same locations in Arizona and some of the same cast with a few additions like Tim Thomerson, Jon H. Epstein, Ursula Sarcev, Norbert Weisser, Sharon Bruneau and Debbie Muggli.
The film continues right where the second one left off with Alex waking up and putting together all the things from the previous movie (there are some stock footage flashbacks). She realizes she has a half-sister named Ramie, actually she has about 20 half-sisters, but Alex is important because she has the ability to procreate and give birth to a new race of superhumans. She is also being chased by Nebula and the twins Lock and Ditko.
A lot of the same virtues present in the last films are repeated here but there are some considerable flaws that make it a step down from Nebula 2. Consider for example the somewhat extensive use of flashbacks with footage from the other film as a recap, showing you stuff that you already saw anyways. The atmosphere still feels desolated and empty in the environments but the side characters add some action and crowd the locations enough, making things more normal and rounded but less ethereal and unreal like in the second film.
The twists and pieces of new information are a mixed bag but they are really only added to extend the plot and come up with a new excuse to make the film longer. Most of the new characters are very dull and one-dimensional types who only play a small role and clutter the film by derailing the plot, the focus leaving Alex for a considerable amount of time and locking onto uninteresting side characters. However, the very best new characters are the ditzy twins that hunt Alex, Lock and Ditko (played by bodybuilders Sharon Bruneau and Debbie Muggli respectively), these silly muscle girls are hilarious and a very welcome addition to an otherwise by-the-numbers movie.
Things are getting slightly stale by this third movie, but when the film hits bullseye and works, it really works, arriving at some of the highlights of the series. Things are repeated and recycled, same places and faces for the most part, you pretty much have to take this film as one of those low budget entries in a series that were shot back-to-back and share the same attributes (Puppet Master and Trancers come to mind), if you pretty much accept that idea then you can enjoy this third film.
Inferior to the previous sequel but still entertaining to a balanced degree, Nemesis 3 has some sparks of brilliance under a derivative and barebones storyline. Some B-movie sci-fi schlock but without the most imaginative aspects or the serious plots of the best of its kind.
