A Smuggler's Conscience (Black Ocean Mission 2)
Book
A simple pickup and delivery. No questions asked; no looking inside the cargo. All it requires is a...
SciFi Aliens Space Wizards
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Triple 9 (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
In the beginning, the film sets its self-up to be a smart and stylistic heist film. However shortly after it begins to feel disjointed as it attempts to develop everyone in its ensemble cast to the point where it hurts the story and some excellent performances become forgettable. It’s a shame because somewhere in this film is potentially two excellent separate films. One film about a crew having to complete a heist for the mob to save their lives and loved ones, and another about dirty cops, their partners and the moral ambiguity of the code on the streets. In Triple 9, these two premises never really get developed on one side or the other and thus everything is just left there.
On the heist side, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays ex-mercenary Michael Atwood. Michael is the careful and calculating leader of the crew, but is tied to the Russian mafia through the mother of his son. Michael is constantly being coerced by the Russian Mob Boss, played by Kate Winslet. The two give stellar performances, most notably Winslet who is cold and ruthless in wielding her power, speaking her mind and not caring how the job gets done as long as it gets done.
On the cop side, Anthony Mackie plays dirty police detective Marcus Belmont who becomes partnered with the ex-marine turned rookie detective Chris Allen (Casey Affleck). Belmont feels that the rookie doesn’t respect the streets and his “Do-gooder” “make a difference” attitude is going to get him killed. When Belmont’s heist crewmate Jorge Rodriguez (Clifton Collins Jr.) learns Chris is also the nephew of the Sergeant Detective (Woody Harrelson) investigating the heist crew, Chris becomes the clear candidate to be set up for the Triple 9. (Convenient huh)
Ultimately, as the story plays out it feels we are always arriving at the end of the meeting to plan the coming events. From the planning of the heist, to the set up murder, and to the exit plan, we are just carried through the motions without much motivation of how or why things have to play out the way they do. As a result, I didn’t really care for any of the characters good or bad, unlike other films of this nature. Even Ejiofor’s character Michael, who has his child involved, doesn’t get the opportunity to really show why the rest of the crew respects him and follows him, or why he needs to stay alive for his son, who basically seems better off being taken care of by the Russian mob.
In the end Triple 9 is not a bad movie, it just isn’t really a great one either. It has strong performances by the entire cast and has the makings of something great, but fails to deliver on that opportunity with a disjointed story trying to focus on too many characters. This makes it ultimately forgettable compared to other heist films of similar nature.
Winning isn't Luck: How to Succeed in Racing Dinghies and Yachts
Book
Whether racing dinghies or yachts, every sailor wants to drive through the fleet and cross the line...
Radiance
Book
Severin Unck is the headstrong young daughter of a world famous film director. She has inherited her...
Have Yourself a Deadly Little Christmas
Book
It’s beginning to look a lot like murder in the sixth installment of this charming cozy mystery...
The Last Ship - Season 1
TV Season
After a global viral pandemic wipes out over 80% of the world's population, the crew (consisting of...
Planet of Dinosaurs (1977)
Movie
The crew of a spaceship led by Captain Lee Norsythe make an emergency crash landing on an Earth-like...
Science fiction Stop-motion animation Stop motion
Husker Locker Big Red Update
Podcast
Writer and Editor of Husker Locker, Brandon Cavanaugh, hosts this weekly podcast about Nebraska...
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
Movie Watch
Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise discover a secret carried by inhabitants of a unique...
The Wanderer
Book
Thirteen-year-old Sophie hears the sea calling, promising adventure and a chance for discovery as...
Middle grade