Directed by Jesse V. Johnson (The Debt Collector), Triple Threatdelivers the high-octane stunt work that one would expect from any film starring martial arts experts like Iko Uwais (The Raid), Tony Jaa (Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior) and Tiger Hu Chen (Man of Tai Chi). When a crime syndicate places a hit on a billionaire’s daughter, she becomes the target of an elite group of assassins. A small band of down-and-out mercenaries protects her, fighting tooth and nail to stop the assassins from reaching their target.
Caught in a world of betrayal and mistrust, Paya (Jaa) and Long Fei (Chen) fight hard to protect the beautiful Xiao Xian (Celina Jade) from military operatives. As they draw closer to the Chinese embassy, the action continues to build as they are face with increasingly difficult odds against them. Although the plot may seem confusing (and it often is), Threatreally establishes itself as a series of action sequences strung together for narrative purposes. However, this is not meant to shame the film. As arguably three of the biggest names in martial arts films today, Uwais, Jaa and Chen continue to impress with amazing physicality and stunts. (Strangely, the three are so impressive physically that, to be honest, one wishes that there was lessgun-play in the film in order to really let their martial arts techniques shine.) The desire to see these three legends face-off against one another on camera is no doubt the reason the film exists and, as such, it gives the audience exactly what they came to see.
While much of the film’s story is based on a revenge thriller, Threatdoes explore the nature of justice. As their military counterparts attempt to kill innocent villagers, Paya and Long Fei are disgusted by their actions and, as they speak up, find themselves incarcerated with the others with only a few moments to live. Desperate to survive, they are also concerned with the well-being of those around them and ensure their safety as well. From that point on, their concern is to prevent their former friends from doing more damage to innocent people as they courageously set out to do what is right. (But, again, even this thread is thin.)
In the end, the primary aspect of Triple Threatthat will leave its audience fully satisfied are its relentless action set pieces and intense visuals. Uwais, Jaa and Hu offer exactly the type of spectacle that the audience expects and, more importantly, that the audience wants.
Triple Threat is currently available on 4K, Blu-ray and VOD.
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