Plot: What’s it about?
Kevin Costner plays Ethan Renner. He’s a CIA agent/hitman who develops a nasty cough on his latest mission. It’s not long before he learns that he has cancer and is given only months to live and then decides to reconcile with his estranged daughter, Zooey (Hailee Steinfeld). The two of them haven’t had the closest relationship and Ethan hopes to change that in his few remaining months. One day Ethan encounters a woman named Vivi (Amber Heard). She has a new assignment for him. Naturally, he refuses, but there’s a catch: she can offer him an experimental drug that could prolong his life. Vivi gives Ethan 3 days to kill (hence the title). There are many more plot points and twists to the story, but I’ll leave those for viewers to discover on their own. This is to avoid spoilers and the fact that much of the plot hardly matters in the long run. The film has plenty of action and wit to spare. Actually, it’s the small doses of humor that elevate this film above mediocrity. I do tend to enjoy films like this from time to time and this one is no exception. What works here is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. We get plenty of funny asides such as Ethan interrogating a man and then asking for a recipe for spaghetti sauce. Ethan’s relationship with his daughter grows throughout the course of the film. They have some nice scenes together, but more action loving fans might grow a little tired with that angle. I felt it added to the film. It was good seeing Hailee Steinfeld again too. I enjoyed her performance in the 2010 True Grit remake, but really haven’t seen much of her since.
By no way does 3 Days to Kill reinvent the wheel, but it delivers the goods and is a nice diversion from the flooding of CGI reboots and superhero movies as of late. Generally when I think action hero I don’t expect him to be dying of cancer. Even when we see some action movies where the stars often joke about their age and getting old, they’re still in great shape. This was a bit much for me to take at first, but ultimately, I gave in and went with it. Costner’s deep, gravely voice did make me laugh a bit at first, but it seemed to come and go throughout the film. Costner has had a bit of an inconsistent film career, but he does nice work here, even if he’s clearly not at the top of his game. I understand the character is ill, but we’re watching an actor who clearly isn’t in his prime. The film was directed by McG who is probably best known for the Charlie’s Angels films. He does a nice job here with keeping things moving nicely. The action scenes are hard-hitting and (thankfully) comprehensible. Luc Besson Co-wrote the screenplay and this definitely feels like a lot of his films by its look and overall tone. I enjoyed the deadline nature of the plot as well. I didn’t love the film, but I enjoyed it more than I anticipated and certainly more than most of the critics. I’d advise a rental.
Video: How’s it look?
As we might expect, this nicely detailed film looks stunning and that’s both good and bad. While the 2.39:1 AVC HD image makes it easy on our eyes when gawking at Amber Heard, we’re instantly reminded that the 80’s and 90’s are over when looking at the weathered face of Mr. Costner. The sweeping visuals of a stylized Paris make for a visual feast and a few of the scenes, consistent with what McG has produced over the years, have a cool corporate look to them. I feel it was a bit overused, but it seems they were used just a bit much. Contrast and black levels are solid, the colors (aside from what I described above) are warm and vibrant as well. It’s a nice-looking transfer that won’t leave anyone left wanting.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Again, as we might expect, the DTS HD Master Audio mix is in top form here. There’s a pretty intense car chase scene later in the movie that utilizes each and every channel, a shootout scene and, yes, things blow up as well. Vocals are rich and crisp with no distortion in the least. It’s a front heavy soundtrack, though surrounds are consistent and do add to the mix (so to speak). This is your typical action/adventure soundtrack that is worth the price of admission.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Granted the phrase “…a Kevin Costner movie…” doesn’t carry the weight it did a decade or so ago, but we’re still treated to a smattering of supplements.
- Theatrical and Extended Cuts of the Movie – 117 minutes and 122 minutes respectively.
- The Making of 3 Days to Kill – Your typical “making of…” featurette, though some of the segments in Paris are interesting and we get some behind the scenes footage on some of the more action-oriented scenes.
- McG’s Method – Essentially this is a feature on the director, who he is, what he does and, of course, how he does it. It’s a bit self indulgent, but then again the guy has the audacity to refer to himself as “McG”, so it kind of fits.
- Covert Operation – Probably the most interesting feature of the bunch since we get to sit down with a former CIA operative and hear about some of his stories. Good stuff.
- Theatrical Trailer
- DVD/UltraViolet Copy
