Kill
Me Three Times (2014/Magnolia/MagNet Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
Kriv
Stenders' Kill Me Three Times has a non-linear narrative
similar to a Tarantino film but writing that isn't nearly as good.
Blackmail, violence, and sex intertwine three stories that all end up
overlapping before the film's end. With a cast that is pretty
impressive including Simon Pegg, Teresa Palmer (I Am Number Four),
Luke Hemsworth, and the underrated Alice Braga (Predators/ Repo
Men) and with cinematography that at times is pretty majestic
(including early scenes with Pegg hunting down a man in the desert) -
there is an overwhelming sense throughout the film that something is
missing.
A
mercurial assassin (Simon Pegg) discovers he isn't the only person
trying to kill the siren (Alice Braga) of a sun-drenched surfing town
who is caught up in a lusty affair and a hefty life insurance policy.
Drug into the middle of it all, the hitman finds himself unraveling
three tales of mayhem, murder, blackmail and revenge and all over
what else - money. There are so many character archetypes that are
used here that are exhausted - the as#%!*e drug lord, the greedy
horse betting rich snob, the tortured wife who seeks love, and of
course the hot chick that will kill whoever it takes to have money in
her bank account. That's not to say that there aren't so good
moments but also some predictable ones.
The
highlight of the film is definitely Simon Pegg's character who
supplies some of the only real humor in this otherwise dark 'comedy'.
This hitman is equal parts expert and goofball, often finding
himself with a knife stuck in his hand or a gun pointed at him.
However, the rest of the film mostly feels like its struggling to be
more clever than it actually is. While I don't think it quite
deserved the incredibly low ratings that other critics gave it, Kill
Me Three Times is an interesting
film to watch late at night with low expectations but fails at being
the cult film that it so desperately wants to be.
The
high definition presentation here is pretty fantastic in glorious
1080p that is crystal clear throughout and heavy on textures and
tones. Coupled with a lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 track,
this disc looks and sounds fantastic and will definitely give you a
solid viewing on your home entertainment system.
Extras
include a deleted scene, commentaries, poster gallery,
storyboards, photo gallery, and featurettes to take you further
inside the film. Overall, a nice release by MagNet of a mediocre
film.
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James Harland Lockhart V
www.facebook.com/jhl5films
