DVD Reviews

The Next Three Days – DVD Review

By Jeff Swindoll Mar 23, 2011, 14:24 GMT

Life seems perfect for John Brennan until his wife, Lara, is arrested for a murder she says she didn’t commit. Three years into her sentence, John is struggling to hold his family together, raising their son and teaching at college while he pursues every means available to prove her innocence. With the rejection of their final appeal, Lara becomes suicidal and John decides there is only one possible, bearable solution: ...more

Professor Russell Crowe’s wife is in prison and he plans to break her out. When his plans go awry, he only has three days to get his scheme accomplished or the opportunity will not come again.

Professor John Brennen (Russell Crowe), his wife Laura (Elizabeth Banks) and their son Luke (Toby and Tyler Green at three-years-old and Ty Simkins at six) seem to be living a good life - that all changes when the police break down their door.

Laura’s boss has been killed and all fingers and evidence make it look like Laura did it. She’s sentenced to twenty years. Three years pass and all of Laura’s appeals have been exhausted. John is distraught without his wife and it only worsens when he realizes the effect on Luke of visiting his mother in prison.

John consults an escapee turned author (Liam Neeson) who tells him that he’ll have to sacrifice much and plan meticulously to get Laura out. John’s plans seem scuttled when he learns that Laura will be moved to another prison and he now only has three days to pull off what he’s been planning for months.

Once we get to the prison break, it’s a thrilling affair, but it takes a time to get there. Oscar winning director Paul Haggis (for 2004’s best picture Crash) hasn’t been in the director’s chair since 2007 (In the Valley of Elah), but he did do some screenplays during his “break” (Quantum of Solace and a rewrite on Terminator Salvation).

He still writes the screenplay for The Next Three Days but maybe that time off has made him a little rusty. I only say that because there are several things that struck me a bit odd. Ultimately I came to enjoy the film but it left me with some questions.

Firstly, I highly doubt that any professor, unless they’re Russell Crowe, would’ve been successful in such an escape attempt and end up in the same situation as his wife. Secondly, what’s the story with Liam Neeson’s character? I wanted to know a bit more, was he on the lam still? How can a five time escapee actually be free since such escapes usually add time to sentences?

The movie is basically a premise that others have done in 90 minutes but is stretched to two hours. Other characters are underutilized (Neeson is basically a cameo to setup how Russell learns about breaking out, Brian Dennehy only gets a few lines and it takes his third appearance in the film to finally speak one).

If things such as jump keys and breaking into cars with tennis balls are a reality then I just felt a little less safe. Once the movie does get rolling with the escape it serves up a suspenseful finale. It just takes it a time to get there. Crowe sells the character though.

The Next Three Days is presented in widescreen (2.40:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Special features include a commentary by director Paul Haggis, producer Michael Nozik, and editor Jo Francis, the 18 minute “Making the Next Three Days,” the 6 minute “Men of the Next Three Days” focusing on the male cast, the 7 minute “True Escapes for Love” about others whose went on the run for love, the 2 minute “Cast Moments” is a gag reel, 12 minute of deleted scenes, and 6 minutes of extended scenes.

The Next Three Days is a pretty suspenseful ride, but we have to travel some “plot” backroads before the real journey begins. It has a game cast (especially Crowe who does such roles in his sleep) but other bits fall short. It is still a good ride to take, you just might not want to travel the path more than once.