The last decade has seen the emergence of the Euro-action genre. Many have been made with an easy to spot formula. Take a seemingly ordinary family-man, place his loved ones in peril and see them partake in shoot-outs amongst busy European streets. Add to this mix an ageing Hollywood star and you have the picture.
3 Days to Kill follows the formula to the letter. Whilst totally unoriginal, it has a solid lead in Kevin Costner who brings his usual conviction as a character increasingly trapped within a foreign clime.
Ethan Renner (Costner) is a CIA agent wanting to retire. Estranged from his wife and daughter, he aims to re-establish himself into their lives. Travelling to their home in Paris, he meets a frosty reception. Working hard at building bridges, his task is made more difficult when fellow agent Vivi (Amber Heard) appears. Informing him an international terrorist he has been after is in town, the temptation to track him down proves hard to resist. Balancing deadly spy games and family dramas, Ethan has his work cut out keeping his head above water.
Directed by Charlies Angels helmer McG, 3 Days to Kill features his usual stylish flourishes. Adept at staging dazzling action sequences, he ensures they become highlights. Thankfully these don’t overshadow Renner’s efforts at re-uniting his fractured family. This provides a lot of the light drama and high comedy which is mostly blended well with the stunts. McG tends to meander at times with the runtime of 3 Days to Kill a bit too long.
Making 3 Days to Kill a treat is Costner’s performance. Playing a world-weary agent attempting to adapt to a normal life, he clearly relishes his character-driven role. Often accused of being a lazy actor, Costner makes up for it with some surprising comedic talent shown. The Parisian scenery is well utilised as it adds an exotic touch to an otherwise formulaic movie.
3 Days to Kill breathes some new energy to the blooming Euro-action scene. Displaying a good mix of humour and action it’s worth checking out with the French scenery adding much to its entertainment value.
Rating out of 10: 7
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