Triple Threat (2019 film)

Triple Threat is an 2019 martial arts film directed by Jesse V. Johnson and starring Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais and Tiger Chen, as well as Scott Adkins, Michael Jai White, Michael Bisping, Celina Jade, and Jeeja Yanin.

The film was released to mixed to positive reviews, with critics praising the fight choreography as well as the cast performances, however there was criticism on the lack of plot and character development.

Plot
Deveraux enlists Payu and Long Fei, who are mercenaries, to go to Thailand for a humanitarian mission to free some prisoners. Unknown to Payu and Long Fei's knowledge, Deveraux and his crew's (Mook, Joey, Steiner and Dom) real goal was to free their leader, Collins, a mass terrorist. Deveraux and his crew shoot up the village, waking up Jaka who sees his wife get shot multiple times. During the ensuing chaos, Payu and Jaka fight but before the victor could be determined, Mook shoots a grenade at Jaka, injuring him heavily and knocking him out. Deveraux frees Collins, and Collins kills his captor. Deveraux double crosses Payu and Long Fei in order to tie up loose ends, and they knock them down into a cage. Collins orders a bomb to burn down the evidence. Payu and Long Fei free the prisoners and barely escape. In the aftermath, Jaka wakes up and sees his village in shambles. He buries his dead wife as well as the villagers, and swears vengeance against Payu and the people responsible for the destruction of his village.

A few days later, Jaka gets info that Payu and Long Fei are participating in an illegal boxing ring in Maha Jaya. After Payu defeats a boxer, Jaka and Long Fei face off. Long Fei beats Jaka, but Payu recognizes him as the villager he fought a few days ago. After healing Jaka and giving him food, Jaka made them drunk and then called the cops on Payu and Long Fei, who are arrested and sent to the Central Police Station. A woman name Tian Xiao Xian arrives in Maha Jaya. Xiao Xian plans to donate money to charity to help purge all the corruption in the city. Su Feng orders Collins and his crew to kill her, due to Xiao Xian being an obstacle to Su Feng's criminal activities. Madame Liang plans to take Xiao Xian to the Chinese Embassy where she can complete her goal, however Collins and his crew arrive and attempt to kill her, in the process Madame Liang is injured but not before gunning down Dom.

Madame Liang tells Xiao Xian that she must go to the Central Police Station, as that is the only place she's safe. Xiao Xian arrives at the police station to get help but they don't understand her due to language barrier. The police take Long Fei to her, while trying to interrogate Payu in another room. Meanwhile, Collins and his crew arrived at the police station after believing Jaka's call which states where Payu and Long Fei are at. Payu fights Steiner, but then Jaka shoots Steiner in the back, allowing Payu to kill Steiner. Jaka reveals that he is on their side, and the reason why he had Payu and Long Fei arrested was to draw Collins out. Long Fei fights against Joey and beats him, escaping with Payu and Xiao Xian. Jaka kills Mook by blowing her up with a grenade launcher, and then meets up with Collins to ally with him in taking down Payu, Long Fei and Xiao Xian.

After barely escaping from Collins twice, Payu calls Collins and tells Collins that he has Xiao Xian, stating that he will give her to him at the old Poker House, but only if Payu and Long Fei gets 100,000 dollars and freedom. Collins agreed, but then tells his crew and Jaka to use all their remaining money to get shooters in order to kill them all instead. Payu goes to his old boss, and convinces him to give them weapons. Long Fei and Xiao Xian meets up with Collins and his crew at the location, while Payu swiftly guns down all the shooters. In the ensuing chaos, Long Fei knocks out Joey by smashing a brick on his head, and helps Jaka kill Deveraux. Jaka calls the Chinese ambassador on where Xiao Xian is, and tries to help Payu beat Collins, but he is too much for them. Jaka is kicked off the balcony by Collins.

Collins finds Xiao Xian and tries to shoot her, however Long Fei jumps in, taking the bullet. Payu arrives and finally kills Collins. Joey wakes up, and is about to shoot Payu when Xiao Xian kills him. The next day, Su Feng is arrested, and Madame Liang finds Xiao Xian and revealed that Jaka was the one who gave them their location. Madame Liang then takes Xiao Xian to the Chinese Embassy, and Payu and Long Fei jokingly berate Jaka that he nearly got them all killed.

Cast

 * Tony Jaa as Payu
 * Iko Uwais as Jaka
 * Tiger Chen as Long Fei
 * Scott Adkins as Collins
 * Michael Jai White as Devereaux
 * Michael Bisping as Joey
 * Celina Jade as Tian Xiao Xian
 * Jeeja Yanin as Mook
 * Ron Smoorenburg as Steiner
 * Dominique Vandenberg as Dom
 * Sile Zhang as Jaka's wife
 * Jennifer Qi Jun Yang as Madame Liang
 * Monica Mok as Su Feng
 * Selina Lo as News Reporter Fei Chen

Release date
The film premiered on February 28, 2019 in China. It had a limited release in theaters for one day only March 19, 2019 for United States. It has been released internationally on Video on demand and digital on March 22, 2019. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2019.

Reception
On Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 67% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 5.72/10. The website's consensus reads: "Triple Threat might have made better use of its attention-getting cast, but action fans should still find the end results entertaining enough to rate a rental." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigns the film a score of 60 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

For Forbes, Scott Mendelson wrote: "That being said, this is still an action movie starring a host of action movie all-stars, and they all get a chance to shine both in terms of character work and butt-kicking." Fred Topel of We Live Entertainment wrote: "You've got Silat vs Kung Fu and Muay Thai. They each get plenty of chances to fight solo too, or to team up against a powerful foe. Triple Threat really explores all the possible combinations of martial arts talent at their disposal."

Amanda Sink of Hollywood Outsider wrote that Triple Threat is explosively fun, ″with some of the best martial arts fight scenes, basic story turned intriguing, and a pronounced cast." Eoin of Action Elite gave the film 4 out of 5 stars wrote: "Overall, Triple Threat is a near perfect blend of fistfights and firepower making it easily the best action movie of the year so far; it has plenty of breakneck action, a cast that is clearly having a ball and one of the highest body counts in years."

Cary Daring of Houston Chronicle wrote: "Triple Threat does not deliver on its kinetic casting promise." Dom Sinacola of Paste Magazine wrote: "Triple Threat fight scenes never as mercilessly satiating as they could get nor its plot as brisk and fatless as it should be. Instead, a muddled narrative about criss-crossing allegiances and noble billionaires and shadowy criminal enterprises."

Nick Harley of Den of Geek wrote: "You'll spend most of the film's running time hoping that this trio gets to work together again in a film worthy of their talents."