Good premise… poor script.
It’s no secret,
Thr3e really wants to be
Saw. But it’s not even close.
Thr3e comes across like a “made for TV”
Saw. No big name actors and a slightly cheesy script.
But I’ll give the story credit: it ends well. I started to think I was so smart in predicting the ending. And then it threw me a curve—a curve that made me realize, “Oh… three! I get it!” And for the first time (at 1 hour and 36 minutes into the film), I was impressed.
So yes, it’s hard for me to give props to a film that takes an hour and a half to impress me.
What was wrong with it?
Glad you asked.
First… the riddles were lame. “Always going, but never really going anywhere.” “A bus!” another character proclaims. “They’re always going, but never really going anywhere!”
Yeah! Like the freaking storyline!
Then a seminary student is trying to figure out a clue that says, “The Wages of Sin.” Duh. No offense to those who don’t know that reference, but any kid that grew up going to Sunday school every week knows that verse. A seminary student could probably tell you it in the original Greek. But not in this film. In this film the guy just says, “It’s in Romans.”
It gets worse. They’re looking for a combination. The lady looks at the words Romans 6:23 and says, “We need another number! I know… Romans has six letters!” Then, with utter confidence she punches in the code 6-6-23. Give me a freaking break. What a lame riddle. This film made
Da Vinci Code almost have credibility.
Then you’ll meet a character who is supposed to be the main character’s evil aunt. But you can’t help but think, “Is this woman trying to play Cruella Devil?”
Sorry,
Thr3e will always smell like number two in my memory.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
The movie is clean, but it’s weird, a little violent, and a little slow. So yes, you could show it to them. The film probably won’t offend you… it will just bore you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth
Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the new
Should I Just Smash My Kid's Phone?, and youth ministry books like
Ministry By Teenagers,
Connect: Real Relationships in a
World of Isolation, and the award winning book
Do They Run When They See You Coming? Jonathan
speaks and trains at conferences, churches and events across North
America, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his
websites,
TheSource4YM.com and
TheSource4Parents.com. You can follow Jonathan on
his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help.
Jonathan and his wife Lori, and their three teenagers Alec, Alyssa and Ashley live
in California.
