Fresh take on the genre

Rating: 8/10 (28 March 2007)

Thankfully a return to form after the dreadful second film. Though it's not as dark as either of the first two, it's much fresher and surprisingly sharply written. The banter between Willis and Jackson makes the film, as both are at the top of the game and play off each other extremely well. I laughed more than I do in some comedies. The first hour or so, with the puzzles, is so damn entertaining that it's a shame the end turns into a generic action flick that basically copies the first film's plot. Jeremy Irons is a solid villain, and there is solid supporting work from the actors playing the cops, but the main duo is unfortunately shunted aside too often. It eventually dissolves into just another action flick, but the first hour and the humour make the overall film more than that.