I know we're not meant to make reference to other reviews on this site (in case they get deleted or move) but I do have to say how much I love keithpettyworld's sarcasm on his review because he does totally capture the change in this documentary series. The third film sees them run out of contributions from established names and also runs out of old school conflicts and is left with "beef" which is smaller, less significant in terms of the development of the musical genre and also, frankly, between artists who are fleeting – artists who you will not discuss in a few years time if you ever really talked about them.
So what we get instead is the makers recognising that these films are selling and making more of them whether there is a need or not. The rot is evident from the very start because we are now getting beefs over nothing between names you have heard of, or dumb squabbles between people you haven't. Nelly and Chingy is the "biggest" name here and to be honest neither artist really interested me. Their "beef" is something over nothing and it goes nowhere. Bang 'Em Smurf (no, really) v 50 Cent held interest because it offers a background to 50 Cent but again it goes nowhere and doesn't inform on anyone beyond being just what it appears. The segment on Twista v Bone Thugs & Harmony is a nothing since both of them say "no problems here" but the most hilarious is Lil Scrappy (who?) doing a high school gig in a gym and gets pushed by a policeman for inciting the crowd – that segment is Lil Scrappy v The Police and ends with the news that Lil Scrappy is suing the police and the officer for $250 million – for being pushed by the way, not shot or raped, just shoved. Hardly "beef" in the way I understand and hardly something worth putting in a film but it is given a good chunk of time.
The rest o the film more or less stays on this track as we have a few "bigger" recent names such as Ludicrous v TI (it was sorted out in private before anyone knew about it) and TI v Lil Flip and a few others. Like I say, they are all fairly low-level arguments over nothing which, being cynical, is about selling records or, taking things at face value, are just over minor words taking to heart by adults who should know better. There isn't anything in here about the music, about skill facing off over skill etc. I mean, the first two Beef films were not brilliant but the first one at least had a good structure and some cultural relevance, neither things are present in this film.
Beef III is pretty poor. There is probably enough disposable arguments to satisfy those that like to see things at that level – but if pointless fighting over nothing is what you want then why not just watch Jerry Springer or something like that? The contributions are from a low level and say nothing beyond the superficial while the "beefs" are instantly forgettable. I know there are other films in this series, but this is my last one.
