Thr3e - Gleich bist du tot

We had the chance to catch a sneak preview of this movie last night. My wife is a huge Ted Dekker fan so we decided to take up the invite. I tried not to have my hopes too high after seeing some other book to movie translation but they got raised when there was a preview for this movie on the television the night before.

With those raised expectations I can say I was a bit disappointed with the movie yet I enjoyed the movie thoroughly.

The story was based on the book Thr3e by Ted Dekker. A man, Kevin, is being tormented and hunted by someone who wants him to confess his sin. Kevin grew up in a very dysfunctional house, found a sweet girl to run away to, and eventually wound up in a seminary trying to further his education. The movie was filled with explosions, suspense, and a who-done-it mystery.

The main thing that was disappointing was the filming and special effects. Some parts were just really choppy and seemed to not flow together. Then the special effects while good were not great. One scene in particular sticks out in my was when the building blew up. You saw flames and then all of a sudden you seen a bunch of rubble "materialize" in the flames.

I'd recommend seeing the movie. Enjoy the story for what it is but not expect great filming. It was an enjoyable film for the wife and I but I can't say how you'll enjoy it.

Cops and an insurance investigator try to stop a serial bomber who torments with riddles and has now set his sight on a college student.

Odd story with style that lacks and real characters you can care about. Its not a bad movie, far from it but this could have and should have been a great film, all that would have been required would be to give us real people to hang out with instead we get cyphers and cut outs. It keeps you watching but it never fully engages you. I highly doubt that you'll remember ever seeing it after the end credits roll.

Worth a shot on cable.

6 out of 10

I agree with those who say it does the book no justice. This is the case with so many Christian produced films out there today. One example is the Left Behind movie, which made the novel look like a cheap attempt at thrills. I assure all of you, those novels outdo the inaccurate films by leaps and bounds. This is so true of Thr3e. Ted Dekker is one of the best fiction authors out there today, Christian or otherwise. Take my advice and read the books. The Circle Trilogy is an incredible story. His other books include Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven, Blink Showdown, Obsessed, and his latest, Saint. They are all excellent novels. If only the films could live up even half way to the writers' vision people might think differently about Christian produced films.

The basic premise of "Three" is unimaginative but potentially interesting: for reasons that are initially unclear, a theology student is targeted by a psychopath (the "Riddle Killer") who forces him to confront the dark corners of his past. As those close to him start to die, the only people who stand by our hero are his longtime female friend and a police psychologist whose brother was one of said murderer's victims.

This film drags the viewer through a series of pedestrian chases, shootouts, and assorted close calls for our heroic trio before reaching a fairly predictable climax. Other, better, films ("Saw", "Flatliners", "Never Talk to Strangers", "Fear", the list is truly endless) have covered this ground before and done so with far more originality, imagination, and style. The direction is by-the-numbers, and the cast are competent but lack charisma. It is no surprise that this dud vanished from theaters. It is puzzling that anyone thought it a good idea (tax write-off?) to make this film in the first place.

There is no way this film can be confused with other thrillers. It's the movie version of the book Thr3e by Ted Dekker. The book is excellent and this film is an attempt to tell the complex story of the book simply. Being a movie, there is less time for the detail which made the book especially clever, but the film does tell the story reasonably well. If you have read the book you will want to see this movie. I really enjoyed seeing the story I'd read play out on screen. In fact the look of the cast was so close to the way I'd imagined that it took me back to my experience reading. If you haven't read the book or you aren't a big reader you may want to get the book on tape or see the movie twice. It's hard to get all the details in one viewing. I took my husband who hasn't read the book and he was a bit confused at first. The book is certainly a must read if you like thrillers and for me this film was a must see.