Yes, I know this is a cheesy movie.
Yes, I know it is an excuse to showcase Kelly Brook's assets.
Yes, I am a fan of Kelly Brook's assets.
Yes, I can't help being a fan of Billy Zane.
Yes, I know there are plot-holes.
Yes, I know this type of film has been done to death.
Yes, I know this is not Oscar material.
Yes, I expected to fail the film.
Yes, the only reason I rented this film is Kelly's nude scene.

But damn it... This is a great little movie!!!  There I said it.  I admit it.  I am so ashamed of myself.  Well, not really.

The fact is that a movie either works for you or it doesn't.  There is not a lot you can do about it.  "Three" worked supremely well for me and, quite shockingly, I have to give it a very high grade for this kind of film.

What kind of film is it?  Well, it is a late-night-cable movie that comes on after extra innings of a west-coast baseball game where the censors have to trim twenty minutes of nudity despite the fact that most people watching films at that late hour are only interested in a little T&A.

The plot is a rather routine desert island stranding... with a twist.  It is one part "Cast Away", one part "Blue Lagoon", one part "Dead Calm", one part "Swept Away", one part "Battle Royale" and one part "Survivor" (The CBS TV Show).

Jack and Jennifer, (Zane & Brook) head out to the open sea aboard a luxury chartered Yacht with some friends.  Manuel is one of the staff assigned to cater to the rich couple.  However, before boarding, he gets into a screaming match on the dock with his pregnant girlfriend... Who, unfortunately for those on the boat, is a big fan of voodoo.

After a little black magic, the boat, deep into the wide blue seascape, erupts into flame and forces the passengers to abandon ship.

Kelly Brook is the first to emerge, in full Ursula Andress glory, onto the remote island beach.  Not long after, Manuel appears just in time to build a shelter and provide fish and fresh water for the damsel in distress.  Soon, the sexual tension is in full gear as the two stranded castaways bask in each other's physical splendor.

Now, the film is not called "Three" for nothing.  Although I hear that it has also been released in some parts under the name "Survival Island".  "Three" is the better option.

The third member of the clan arrives a couple of days later, washed up on the coral.  Surprise, surprise... it is the husband, Jack.

What follows is actually quite riveting.  A jealous cockfight explodes as the two men proudly display their survival skills.  Jack's jealously consumes him and he struggles to provide for his trophy wife.  Manuel seems adept at surviving the harsh terrain but is desperate to tempt Jenny over to the Latin half of the beach.

Jenny is caught in the middle... between her insanely jealous and arrogant husband and the kind, capable and mischievous cabin boy with abs of steel and buns to match.

It is quite the romance novel.

The set-up, the execution and the pay-off is all top notch.  I was thoroughly entertained and excited from credits to credits.  It is easily the kind of film that will hold up in repeat viewings.

I have seen Kelly Brook in a few films recently, "House of 9", "School for Seduction" & "Three", and this girl is surprisingly a very good actress.  Most models fall flat on their face as they turn to acting, ending up in poor movies and delivering lines so painfully that it is embarrassing to watch.  However, Brook is charming, thoughtful & subtle.  She is capable of enough range to become a seriously considered mainstream actress.

Unfortunately, she is going to struggle with the labels and the stereotyping for a while.  Sometimes that alone can sink a promising career.  She may end up stranded in B-movies forever.  I hope a big director gives her a shot in the lead role of a major film sometime soon.

Billy Zane is one of my favorite actors... and I admit that he can be an acquired taste.  His eccentricity and enthusiasm for his roles is fun to watch.  I love it when he plays the bad guy, despite the moustache-twirling aspect of it all.  I think Zane is brilliant here as a man dwindling into a jealous insanity.

So, Brook and Zane are fabulous in this film... which leaves us with Juan Pablo Di Pace.  Hmm... this is unfortunately the biggest flaw in the film.  He is just a little too over-the-top.  I thought his Manuel was a caricature rather than a character.  I also felt that he struggled with the English language on more than one occasion.

But let me be honest... This film gave me everything I could have hoped for.  I was thoroughly entertained.  I was impressed, yet again, with Kelly Brook's emerging talent.  I got to see her flaunt that flawless body around in a bikini for 90 minutes... and out of the bikini for about 5 minutes.  I saw a film whose tagline reads "Three arrive.  Only two survive." which kept me guessing right to the end.  And I had the rare opportunity to see a film surpass my expectations by leaps and bounds.  I fully expected a dud.  Instead, I got a guilty pleasure.