We're first introduced to psychologist Jennifer Peters (Justine Wadell), whose own recent book has drawn the wrath of RK (short for the Riddle Killer). You know the type from other movies—a shadowy psycho who speaks via cell phone using an electronically scrambled voice, toying with victims through half-baked riddles and clues that can potentially spare them from a seemingly limitless supply of explosives. Unable to solve a riddle in time, Jennifer ends up losing her brother to one of the mad bomber's schemes in the opening scene.

Kevin (Marc Blucas) and Jennifer (Justine Waddell) are both apparent targets of the Riddle Killer

Three months later, we meet Kevin Parson (Marc Blucas from TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer), a bright seminary student struggling to finish his thesis on time—and of course, the subject would have to be The Nature of Evil. After a cell phone call, a riddle, and a car bomb, it would seem that Kevin is the next target, with the mad bomber demanding a confession from him for some past sin.

But what secret haunts the good-natured student's past that would threaten his life, and how does it relate to RK's previous killings? That's up to Kevin to figure out with the assistance of Jennifer and the police, as well as Samantha (Laura Jordan), a childhood friend of Kevin's. Together they uncover the bomber's riddle-traps, each one gradually leading us to the surprising truth of RK's true identity.

The good news is that Thr3e is not as bad as last year's The Visitation, director Robby Henson's previous film credit. This movie generally shows improvement in visual style, going for the same creepiness that underlies David Fincher's Se7en, or at least your average direct-to-video release and made-for-cable thriller. Unlike most "Christian films," Thre3e has the appearance of a credible cinematic release.

Also, thanks to Dekker's sensibilities in the source material, there's little in the way of objectionable content. No bad language and no gratuitous sex—Kevin and Samantha are portrayed as chaste friends, and frankly, Kevin doesn't have time for romance in this movie. There are plenty of explosions and action intensity, plus someone does get shot in the leg, all worthy of a PG-13 rating. But it's still tamer than most action dramas on television.

Police work to remove a bomb from one of RK's intended victims (Kevin Downes)

Offensive and excessive content obviously aren't necessary to make a good movie, but a good script and good acting are—and they're noticeably lacking here.

Shortly into Thr3e, you half expect a likeably formulaic story about a sem student and a cop who track down a murderer, using the Bible to solve riddles, save the day, and learn some deep spiritual lessons in the process. That's only true in part, because once Samantha is introduced, the story focuses more on her and Kevin trying to save the day. Jennifer becomes more of a supporting character, which is surprising considering that she's established as more important early on.

But along the way, for no clear discernable reason, Kevin develops a strong mistrust for the police. This is but one of his many irrational decisions. Rather than play it safe by avoiding RK's riddles, Kevin plays directly into the bomber's hand by placing himself in peril every time, resulting in one last-second-leap-before-the-explosion after another.

My favorite is the scene where Samantha finds herself locked in a holding cell with a bomb about to go off outside the door. Kevin runs in armed with a pistol, and he could easily just shoot the lock to free her. But no, our hero instead tries to pursue the killer, who seems to be intentionally leading him into another trap. He drops the keys to the cell on the floor of a dark room before running off into the night. Kevin searches in vain for them and then runs back for a flashlight … only to use it to try and disarm the bomb on his own. (Maybe he minored in Bomb Disarmament at the seminary?)

Samantha (Laura Jordan) comforts Kevin, her childhood friend

Meanwhile Samantha, also armed with a gun, figures out she can shoot the lock herself. She does and, get this—the two leap away from the explosion at the last second (for like the third time in the film).

For a thriller like Thr3e to work, the riddles need to make sense to create scenes of suspense that the characters (and audiences) can legitimately work out. But the riddles in this movie are almost tangential, with characters making guesses to stumble on the solution. Gosh, if I've learned anything from movies with bombs, it's not to push buttons or cut wires haphazardly.

The script's pacing and development is much more problematic. In attempt to be mysterious, characters are introduced as poorly as I've ever seen. Samantha comes virtually out of nowhere to Kevin's apartment, despite not seeing him for years. In talking to him, she alludes to dealing with criminals and cops in her line of work. Later we learn she's an insurance investigator, though later still we find she carries a gun. Who is this girl, and do all State Farm employees pack heat?

Far more (unintentionally) laughable is Kevin's background. Fifteen minutes into the film, we meet the family that he left behind years ago. Problem is, we've no idea who they are—Kevin simply arrives at a house where three crazy people reside and they start berating him. We can only assume they're family by the way he interacts, and it's not until later that we learn they're his Aunt Belinda, Uncle Eugene, and Cousin Bob. And they're as loony as an insane asylum, like a non-violent version of the family from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. No wonder he left.

Priscilla Barnes as Kevin's over-the-top Aunt Belinda

As far as acting goes, Blucas comes off okay as Kevin, but is that because he's the most high profile actor of the cast, or because everyone else is so bad? Most of the characterizations are merely flat and uninteresting, though Priscilla Barnes (from TV's Three's Company years ago) is unbelievably awful with an over-the-top portrayal of Aunt Belinda—a ridiculous cross between Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians and Patsy Stone from Absolutely Fabulous. We have a winner for the Razzies.

But worst is the handling of the story's surprise-twist ending, which I dare not give away here, but it's one that's been used far more effectively in other films over the last ten years. It also probably plays better on the printed page in this case, because visuals are far more powerful in providing the audience with facts and details that we assume to be true, only to have them contradicted later. Thr3e simply does not play fair when it comes to the mystery, and though it tries to explain some of the film's previous scenes, it cannot possibly explain them all.

I also wonder if Christian moviegoers will be disappointed to find that the movie isn't all that spiritual. Is it a "Christian movie" because the main character is a sem student, because characters use Romans 6:23 to solve a riddle, or because one character uses a sentence in a tacked-on conversation at the end to note how we all need God in our lives to reconcile the good and evil within us? Those are the extent of the overtly Christian qualities in Thr3e. You might be able to interpret more if you choose to, but then you may as well check out mainstream films like Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Rocky Balboa, and Little Children for their subtle spiritual messages. Frankly, I saw this as a cleaner than average action thriller, nothing more.