Review of 3 Days to Kill (2014) by Kathy S — 11 Mar 2014

French filmmaker Luc Besson has revisited the assassin/hired gun scenario numerous times, but he usually finds ways to add a unique spin to them. His "The Professional" paired a veteran hit man with a pre-teen girl in a tale of vengeance against corrupt police. "The Transporter," which he wrote, dealt with a driver-for hire with an unflinching set of guidelines he enforced in his arrangements. And now comes "3 Days to Kill" (also penned by Besson, though directed by "Terminator Salvation's" McG), in which a grizzled CIA agent has to balance the proverbial "one last job" with trying to establish a relationship with his teenage daughter.

When we first meet Ethan Renner (Kevin Costner), he's in the middle of a hazardous mission, trying to track down an elusive terrorist known as the Wolf. The job goes awry, the Wolf gets away, and in the aftermath, Ethan learns that he has brain cancer, which will kill him in about three months. Now that he's outlived his usefulness, the Agency (seemingly) dismisses him, and he resolves to use his remaining time to try and patch things up with his estranged wife Christine (Connie Nielsen) and daughter Zoey (Hailee Steinfeld), whom he barely knows.

Ah, but is he REALLY out? Surely you jest...

When the Agency gets another lead on the whereabouts of the Wolf, Ethan is dragged back into the fray by a sultry handler (Amber Heard), who promises him access to an "experimental drug" that will prolong his life...as long as he finishes this last job. And now Christine is heading out of town on a business trip, leaving Ethan to look after Zoey for a few days. As the veteran spy comes to quickly learn, the multiple crises of a teenage girl may be even more daunting than dealing with international terrorists.

Now it should go without saying that much of this is rather ridiculous. The "experimental drug" is never given a name nor an explanation as to how it works (though we are told that a shot of vodka will help mitigate its dizzying side effects), so it's almost as if the movie is daring us to just call it a "Macguffin." And of course the 59 year-old Costner has absolutely no problems dispatching enemies half his age and beyond. And there's one of those completely outlandish movie coincidences that sets up the film's climax.

But I have to say, I was rather entertained by it all. The film does a fairly good job tempering the scenes of exciting action with the heartfelt, tender moments, and there's an undercurrent of humor throughout that reallys adds to the enjoyment. I particularly liked the moments in which Ethan pesters a low-level bad guy for advice on how to deal with Zoey (as the guy has two teenage daughters of his own). And the ringtone Zoey programs into Ethan's cell phone is a hoot, especially since it goes off at the most inopportune moments.

The characters are pretty hit-or-miss. Costner's stoic presence makes Ethan a lot of fun, as he growls his way through the improbable action scenarios and teenage drama situations with a sort of world-weariness that makes the character more believable. I also enjoyed Hailee Steinfeld's performance as Zoey; there's nothing truly unique about the character, but the former Oscar nominee injects some energy into what is really a tired role.

Unfortunately Connie Nielsen is stuck being The Wife Who Just Wants Her Husband To Quit His Job And Spend More Time With His Family--does that sound familiar?--and the villains are pretty stock; just your average cold-hearted terrorist with a nasty, sadistic henchman...nothing more to see here. Even Amber Heard's role seems like an echo of Johnny Depp's whack job CIA agent from "Once Upon a Time in Mexico.".

But despite all this, the movie works, mostly due to the efforts and presence of Costner. Like Liam Neeson in his recent forays into action pictures, his very presence grounds the proceedings considerably, and we never doubt that this man could do all the crazy things he does. It's trashy entertainment, a guilty pleasure. If you have 117 minutes to kill, I'd recommend checking out "3 Days to Kill.".