#21 ·
If we are being strictly rational, 3 Days to Kill is an abysmal film in almost every conceivable category. The plot is staggeringly basic and has been told countless times before; the characters are largely archetypal and two-dimensional—a critique that applies most heavily to the villains. The dialogue lacks any shred of credibility, the action fails to reach spectacular heights, and the melodrama isn't even sufficiently pathetic. Their combination isn't nearly as humorous as intended. As for the other jokes, they are mediocre at best, occasionally bordering on offensive, landing somewhere in the realm of low-brow patriotic humor and casual homophobia. However, 3 Days to Kill serves as a textbook example of what one calls a “guilty pleasure”: objectively terrible, yet subjectively quite endearing and entertaining.
As I have previously noted, the action offers nothing novel, the violence is nearly bloodless and lacks elegance, and the melodrama is entirely formulaic. The characters are paper-thin, which results in lackluster performances; Connie Nielsen makes no real effort to elevate Tina beyond a nagging wife suspicious of her spy husband, while Amber Heard attempts to inject some femme fatale flair into Viva, though it comes across as more comical than intentional. Some of these scenes are quite foolish and absurd; her frequent wig changes and flirtatious overtures toward a decidedly unimpressive Kevin Costner never truly realize their potential. On top of that, the entire film functions as rather heavy-handed product placement for Ford (Besson has that habit), but at least that provides us with two spectacular chases through the streets of Paris. Add to that an impressive brawl in a sandwich shop, where a meat slicer and a toaster are elegantly utilized as improvised weapons. In those few moments, McG demonstrates that he is a technically skilled director, even if he is far from creative. (Then again, had he been creative, he might have devised an original artistic moniker instead of using that blatant abbreviation of his surname.)
3 Days to Kill is not merely a derivative offspring of the solid Taken franchise, borrowing its core premise and helping set the standard for Paramount’s brand of trashy B-movies for a global audience. Nor is it simply an untouchable blend of Taken and From Paris with Love, from which the inspiration was drawn to depict Paris like a twisted tourist postcard. It possesses that, certainly, but that isn't all. It is a story about times that changed while Ethan was busy killing villains around the world on the American taxpayer's dime, all while Costner transitioned into less ambitious roles following two back-to-back disasters known as Waterworld and The Postman. In the interim, Ethan’s little girl has grown up; purple is no longer her favorite color, as she is now preoccupied with guys and going out. Meanwhile, the world itself has shifted, and here we view it through the lens of a globalized Paris. In such a setting, Ethan, dressed in forty-year-old Parisian fashion (reminiscent of films starring Delon and Belmondo), looks like a total stranger and a poseur—something akin to an American hipster living out his Parisian fantasies while Parisians of all colors and races grind away at legal and illegal jobs, clad in corporate uniforms of black suits and ties.
more at:
http://film-na-dan.blogspot.com/2014...s-to-kill.html
As I have previously noted, the action offers nothing novel, the violence is nearly bloodless and lacks elegance, and the melodrama is entirely formulaic. The characters are paper-thin, which results in lackluster performances; Connie Nielsen makes no real effort to elevate Tina beyond a nagging wife suspicious of her spy husband, while Amber Heard attempts to inject some femme fatale flair into Viva, though it comes across as more comical than intentional. Some of these scenes are quite foolish and absurd; her frequent wig changes and flirtatious overtures toward a decidedly unimpressive Kevin Costner never truly realize their potential. On top of that, the entire film functions as rather heavy-handed product placement for Ford (Besson has that habit), but at least that provides us with two spectacular chases through the streets of Paris. Add to that an impressive brawl in a sandwich shop, where a meat slicer and a toaster are elegantly utilized as improvised weapons. In those few moments, McG demonstrates that he is a technically skilled director, even if he is far from creative. (Then again, had he been creative, he might have devised an original artistic moniker instead of using that blatant abbreviation of his surname.)
3 Days to Kill is not merely a derivative offspring of the solid Taken franchise, borrowing its core premise and helping set the standard for Paramount’s brand of trashy B-movies for a global audience. Nor is it simply an untouchable blend of Taken and From Paris with Love, from which the inspiration was drawn to depict Paris like a twisted tourist postcard. It possesses that, certainly, but that isn't all. It is a story about times that changed while Ethan was busy killing villains around the world on the American taxpayer's dime, all while Costner transitioned into less ambitious roles following two back-to-back disasters known as Waterworld and The Postman. In the interim, Ethan’s little girl has grown up; purple is no longer her favorite color, as she is now preoccupied with guys and going out. Meanwhile, the world itself has shifted, and here we view it through the lens of a globalized Paris. In such a setting, Ethan, dressed in forty-year-old Parisian fashion (reminiscent of films starring Delon and Belmondo), looks like a total stranger and a poseur—something akin to an American hipster living out his Parisian fantasies while Parisians of all colors and races grind away at legal and illegal jobs, clad in corporate uniforms of black suits and ties.
more at:
http://film-na-dan.blogspot.com/2014...s-to-kill.html