Another World War II movie âinspired by a true storyâ (take that with a grain of salt), 3 Days in Malay doesnât have enough story or budget to sustain its premise but isnât entirely unwatchable.
Veteran soldier and former boxer John Caputo (Louis Mandylor, who also directs) transfers to an American base in Malay on the eve of an anticipated Japanese attack. Itâs also where childhood buddy James (âCowboyâ Cerrone) is stationed, but the two have since become estranged. Much of the first half of the film focuses on their conflict, which is only sporadically interesting. This is also when we meet a handful of other soldiers, most of whom exist to be eventual cannon fodder, including a brief love interest for John thatâs clumsily inserted into the narrative.
But the meat of the story centers around the impending attack, where the U.S. forces are severely outnumbered. Base leader Sgt. Foley (Peter Dobson) warns the higher-ups of this, yet the Army refuses to provide reinforcements. So itâs up to a small handful of troops to defend the base from supposedly thousands of Japanese soldiers. I say âsupposedlyâ because during the entire three-day siege, we never see more than a dozen or so enemy soldiers on-screen at any time, screaming âBanzai!â as they run straight into American gunfire with little or no attempt to dodge the bullets.
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Ever the peacemaker, John ends the conflict by sharing his gum. |
3 Days in Malay is one of those movies that probably wouldâve been more compelling with a bigger budget and tighter screenplay. But as is, itâs hardly the worst budget-conscious war epic out there. With (very) tempered expectations, the film is a passable time killer.
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