Tödliches Trio - Verführung zum Sex

When I learned that "Pandora's Box" was finally coming to selected theaters located in Baltimore, I was more than thrilled. After viewing Rob Hardy's first film, "Trois", I was surprised to see that this young, up-and-coming director pushed the envelope with powerful dialogue and talented actors such as Gary Dourdan ("A Different World", "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation") and Kenya Moore ("Senseless"). "Trois" was definitely a must-see. Now with "Pandora's Box" Rob Hardy and his crew at Rainforest Productions have made another film that pushes the envelope even further.

"Pandora's Box" is about a psychologist named Mia (Monica Calhoun) who helps a troubled patient (Chrystale Wilson) deal with the untimely death of her husband (Tyson Beckford). But soon after, Mia finds her her own life being examined as she takes her patient's advice and becomes involved in the underworld of sexual empowerment. She then meets Hampton Hines (Michael Jai White), a mysterious stranger who Mia becomes intrigued by. As emotions grow strong and her marriage to her husband (Kristoff St. John) going down the drain, Mia commits several acts of adultery and infidelity with Hampton only to find herself getting even deeper in a world of sex, money and murder.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, you are missing out on a good and entertaining movie. But please remember to leave the kids at HOME!!!!

Metaphorically speaking, what begins as a tennis match abruptly becomes a one hour and forty-four minute game of chess (pronounced `chest'). But, perhaps that's what's wrong with this production. It's about forty-four minutes and one pair of breasts too much. Unfortunately, just like its predecessor (Trois), what coulda, shoulda, and woulda falls by the wayside of an underdeveloped script that's punctuated by lackluster acting.

Exceptional casting, however, sometimes redeems poor writing. But, in the case of `Trois 2,' the principals are written into such a `small world,' the logic inherent in each character action has to be questioned. At least by all who see beyond the T&A.

Personally, I tried very hard to stay intrigued by the visual affect of Black actors making moves in something other than a slapstick chitlin' circuit genre. But, here, the creative team gave new meaning to something other than something being old, borrowed, and blue. Unquestionably, there's `sampling' from `Jagged Edge' (the movie), `Consenting Adults,' `Basic Instinct,' and `Body Heat.'

As a matter of fact, `Body Heat's' William Hurt and `Trois 2's' Chrystale Wilson/Tyson Beckford even share the same last name characterwise. Duh! And, just why did Kristoff `Young and the Restless' St. John's character have to be named `Victor?' Duh!

But, then and again, when considering the `monstrous' performance of a certain other `tit-illating' actress who wound up becoming an award recipient, indeed, Pandora's box is symbolically wide open for who knows what.

Someone else mentioned that this movie was very reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. This was just the black version. The plot of this movie was overpowered and entangled around an obviously pregnant star. It just irked me that she was pregnant and it didn't seem to fit into the movie's plot. It's like they ignored the fact that she was pregnant and jsut "shot around" the scenes that showed her being naked were shot from the wrong angle, they just reinforced the fact that she was pregnant. I kind of feel like if white actors were used this would have been a much better movie. If a white actress was pregnant and showing as much as the lead actress they would have replaced her. This definitely took away from the movie.

Oh well I'm through with this. I can't get away from the pregnancy thing.

The movie starts off - upping the ante. Where there was no real nudity in the first Trois movie, the sequel kicks off things with a scene that does not cover up anything - no pun intended. And including Michael Jai White in the movie - that Dude has some serious charisma. If you are into men, you probably will also like other qualities in/on him - mainly physical ones I assume.

That being said, the main female character is also someone you won't mind looking at. So getting these two together sounds like a perfect match. Of course this being a "Trois" movie, there is more to it than that. You have another man in this case - a man who seems not to love his wife ... there are a few things going on. Most are predictable. The twist is too I reckon - maybe not from the start, but there is a reason for that.

i liked this movie. it had so many twists and turns, and you had to pay close attention to understand it all. i feel lots of movies should have that. even though some things bothered me(Monica up tightness) i understand now that it was all in the acting(she was supposed to be perceived as an uptight person). i think it is better than the first movie, for the simple fact that the first one seemed like it was poorly doe. this one had many different locations(although they seemed to be playing the same soundtrack over and over again. but i liked the acting, and i liked the plot, although it had nothing to do with a threesome like the title would imply.

i liked it a lot....!