See it at the Movies

3 DAYS TO KILL

Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 2/24/14

(Unconventional

spy thriller)

Kevin Costner stars as Ethan, a CIA agent dying of cancer and taking on his last job. Ethan has a difficult time balancing his dangerous, time-consuming career …

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See it at the Movies

3 DAYS TO KILL

Posted

(Unconventional

spy thriller)

Kevin Costner stars as Ethan, a CIA agent dying of cancer and taking on his last job. Ethan has a difficult time balancing his dangerous, time-consuming career with his equally demanding family.

While the movie follows some of the spy genre formulas (mainly the last job before retirement), it has some unconventional twists and turns (neither wife nor daughter are kidnapped).

Amber Heard plays his CIA contact who possesses a newly developed formula that could save his life. She and that plot device are a bit silly. She shows up at every crisis to save him from the bad guys. Why didn’t she just kill them herself?

Most of the action takes place in Paris. There are a number of chase scenes, with a running gag involving his daughter calling his cell phone at the most inopportune times. Many of the scenes are played for laughs, but there still is plenty of action, close calls and a huge body count.

A majority of the story revolves around Ethan trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter (Hailee Steinfeld), whom he has ignored most of his life, and his estranged wife (Connie Nielsen). There is also a running gag about Ethan buying his daughter a bike she doesn’t want, and carrying it around as he chases the bad guys.

The movie has a few classic scenes that provoke chuckles, plus a few poignant moments between father and daughter...all this going on amidst violence, car chases, near misses and finally a ridiculous ending.

Rated PG-13, with violence and some profanity.

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