“Triple Frontier” review

An entertaining flick for a Sunday afternoon

Through the years, action thrillers have consistently been one of the most reliable film genres. Done badly, they provide a moderately entertaining couple of hours, but when done well, you get modern classics such as “Sicario and The Professional.” And that’s why I couldn’t wait to watch “Triple Frontier.” It boasted a fantastic cast and premiered on Netflix, so I could enjoy it straight from my couch.

Oscar Isaac plays an ex-special forces soldier who plans to rob a cocaine cartel boss alongside his crew including Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal and more. Coming into the film, my expectations were pretty high, but I began to worry when it turned very formulaic, like many past heist movies. The characters all felt too bland, and the whole movie started to feel too obvious.

Thinking I’d have to wait another hour for the robbery to happen and the action to kick in, my impatience grew. Netflix must have heard my thoughts because the rest of the movie is an action-heavy romp that is endlessly entertaining. The action scenes are quite impressive ¬– slick and thrilling with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer constantly engaged. As the film progresses and things go awry, the film ventures into unexpected places. It explores heavy themes such as the price of a human life, and if the ends justify the means. All of this is extremely compelling and provides a thoughtful side to this film.

Although I found it entertaining, “Triple Frontier” lacks the punch and consistency to compare it to the greatest action thrillers. While the cast is full of talented people, they are given little to do and Affleck appears bored throughout. Plus, there are some blatant continuity issues; the time of day is constantly changing and one of the characters is shot in the side, then is seen running around without hesitation. At the end of the day, despite the flaws, I found myself greatly invested and entertained by this movie. I would consider it the perfect film to watch on a lazy Sunday when you have nothing else to do.