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Well, I will agree with you that the zombies in Return are an infinitely worse threat than those in other zombie films - they're fast, cunning, and almost unstoppable. You can't even put 'em down with the old reliable rule of destroying the brain. I'd rather deal with Romero's dead any day.
I watched those movies when I was kid too, though I think I may have seen Return 2 before Return. Of course, you're right that those films are much scarier for youngsters. I remember being startled when they ambushed the paramedics and police.
Return 2 was more fun for me. It was scary but it had a stronger comic book style than the first one, and I related with the boy protagonist. I still think it's one of the best zombie movies out there.
As for Return 3, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I thought it was lame. The love story was tedious, the acting poor, and the overall quality was subpar. But it's been a long time since I saw it, so maybe I'll give it a second chance soon.