'3 Days to Kill' is a mess, but entertaining


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SALT LAKE CITY — “3 Days to Kill” is a mess. Oh, it’s entertaining, but a mess nonetheless.

Where’s the plot? Where’s the character development? Where’s the motivation? Where’s my refund?

I usually cut Kevin Costner a lot of slack but his beleaguered, aging and war-weary characters are really wearing on me. This time he’s a beleaguered, aging, war-weary CIA assassin, Ethan Renner, who is having a busy day killing lots of folks, all while dodging bullets and squeezing in a birthday call to his semi-estranged daughter.

But, alas, while in hot pursuit of the “Albino” — no, I’m not making that up — Ethan has a medical episode and the “Wolf” — no, I’m not making that up either — who is the ultimate target, escapes.

Our hero wakes up in a hospital where he’s informed that he has brain cancer and he’d better put his affairs in order. His first step is to try to reconcile with his wife and teenage daughter. Connie Nielsen and Hailee Steinfeld star as mother and daughter, and suddenly having Ethan back in their lives is an adjustment for all, to say the least. His whole goal is to try to make some amends and financially provide for them after his demise.

This is where we really get to know Vivi, played by Amber Heard. Who’s this? Earlier in the film, we witness this beautiful young woman getting her instructions from the “director” to kill the Albino and the Wolf. Little did we know at the time how tough she really is. She’s a stereotypical “fem fatale,” the type usually reserved for a Bond movie.


I'm almost on the verge of buying another ticket just to see if it's as ridiculous as I remember. But, I was entertained.

She shows up to offer Ethan cash and an experimental drug that could save or extend his life if he will only stay on the job and blow away a few more people, including the Albino and the Wolf. Oh, this is really getting good.

But, it gets better.

The key to tracking down the bad guys is — again, I’m not kidding — Guido the “accountant.” When Ethan finally tracks down Guido, he extracts information about the Wolf, and by the way also gets Guido’s mother’s spaghetti sauce recipe for his daughter who is making dinner for her hot date. You might have picked up on the idea that humor is embedded in this film that includes a running shtick involving the “accountant's” chauffer who spends a lot of time in Ethan’s trunk and is milked for parenting advice.

OK, I’ve got to stop. I’m almost on the verge of buying another ticket just to see if it’s as ridiculous as I remember. But, I was entertained.

So, if you have 111 minutes and a few bucks to kill, you might want to see “3 Days to Kill.” I’m giving the movie 2 stars, and it's rated PG-13.

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Doug Wright

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