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Three Kings
A group of American soldiers stationed in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War find a map they believe will take them to a huge cache of stolen Kuwaiti gold hidden near their base, and they embark on a secret mission that's destined to change everything.
Release : | 1999 |
Rating : | 7.1 |
Studio : | Village Roadshow Pictures, Atlas Entertainment, Village-A.M. Partnership, |
Crew : | Art Department Coordinator, Art Direction, |
Cast : | George Clooney Mark Wahlberg Ice Cube Spike Jonze Cliff Curtis |
Genre : | Action Comedy War |
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Good concept, poorly executed.
Don't listen to the negative reviews
Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Best serious yet comical movie about war I've seen. It's not slapstick silly funny nor is it an extremely serious graphic depiction of war. It's one of a kind leaning more towards a realistic movie but plenty of humor for levity. Excellent cast (even Ice Cube) with an excellent script and director. Side note: Spike Jonze known mainly as a director and producer ("Her" the "Jackass" franchise) of a couple of great films and dozens of the most inventive music videos ever steals every scene he's in with his comedic acting chops. Skilled behind and in front of the camera.
A friend of mine advised me to watch this movie, and didn't tell me anything about the movie. I took a leap of faith if you will.I am a huge action/comedy movie fan. Though after 45 min. of the movie I decided to do some research to find out whether this is a serious movie or a complete joke (I didn't even bother pausing the movie, it is playing at the background as I type). When researching I found out that it was an action/comedy movie, which was quite surprising for me. To my opinion this movie is so lame, and the storyline so uninteresting. I do not advice anyone to watch this movie who has at least a little bit of an developed movie taste. I honestly cannot believe George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg agreed to play in this movie. Of course when I recognised Ice Cube, I should've known.Btw, to make my advice relative. I'm not that picky, I even liked the movie "dude, where is my car" which is completely dumb but hilarious for it.If there is even a single person reading this review, and also happens to think "sh*it, what SHOULD I watch then?". Your answer is Blue Streak. Thats one funny movie.
The Persian Gulf War is the one of the least touched topics Hollywood has brought to the war genre, the war intended to bring down the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was running domination over Kuwait. So there aren't a whole lot of films out there centering on the Gulf War, with 'Courage Under Fire' and Jarhead' to name a few. David O. Russell, however, dives deep into height of the Gulf War with this dark comedy set in 1991 during the aftermath. With the war reaching a stopping point, four soldiers: Major Archie Gates (played by George Clooney), Troy Barlow (played by Mark Wahlberg), Chief Elgin (played by Ice Cube), and Conrad Vig (played by Spike Jonze), are delusioned by the lack of action they face during active duty and are on their ways of retirement. This is until one day where they capture an Iraqi prisoner who has a secret map hidden where the sun don't shine. These four soldiers discover the map leads to a hidden gold stolen from Kuwait. They embark on a quest in search of the stolen gold inside the bunker of a base camp filled with Iraqi refugees, but witness a violent uprising by rebels sent by Saddam Hussein. The foursome must make a desperate decision to run off with the gold or save the refugees from the atrocity. This picture isn't your average, everyday war flick that shines the spotlight on the horrors of war and how its dehumanizing effects on soldiers, although there is plenty of combat and death. This film takes a lighthearted turn on portraying the Persian Gulf War, while conveying many liberties. What director David O. Russell makes of this war film is a dark comedy sprinkled with violence, surprising humor, and plenty of liberal political commentary. The plot sets in on the main characters' departure to the base camp where they quickly witness the sadistic rebellion of Iraqis associated with the cruel dictator who has Kuwait under his domination. Mothers, fathers, and children are seen suffering starvation, torture, and vicious beating that become eye sores to the main characters who develop the heart to push their mission aside and save help these poor victims from the atrocious acts. And these scenes lead to some thought-demanding political discussions, including a suggestion that the Iraqis were told by our government to rebel against Saddam Hussein. So the characters express anger against George H. Bush who was the president at the time of the setting that some viewers, particularly Bush fans could take offense to, but at the same time, it generates a bold and powerful political undertone with plenty of surprisingly funny dialogue thrown around as well as some intense, bloody gun fights between the characters and the rebels.The cinematography functions as a great aspect of the film. With the Casa Grande desert in Arizona serving as the backdrop for the Iraqi desert, the film features a oddly saturated picture with high contrast in the bright colors and dark colors to give the the film a look of a film reel lost in the desert. The camera-work really fits the themes of the plot and an inspiring aspect. The cast however, really steals the show here. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze give off some spectacular performances. Spike Jonze delights his presence with plenty of comic relief and probably delivers the most comedic lines out of the whole cast. These four actors are very convicted in their roles and demonstrate some great chemistry together. Nora Dunn who plays a journalist who is also an eye-catcher here and perhaps slightly underused. Three Kings is both a bold and spectacular experience sparkled with sheer violence and shocking humor along with a intensely talented cast who knocks the ball out of the park. This is honestly one of the most underrated films by a very talented director, and definitely doesn't quite get the attention it deserves. If you come across this film, this one may be a good pick.
I'm writing this review with a huge disclaimer: I don't like war movies. They disgust me, they disturb me, they upset me. War movies typically exhibit the worst character in humans, generally it is the worst character in the "enemy" whereas the good guys--even if slightly flawed like this movie--are still saints compared to the bad guys. And the ones caught in between, the civilians, are just canon fodder. Either they are waiting to be slaughtered by their own or waiting to be saved by the magnanimous forces of good.Three Kings is not fully a war movie but it's darn close. I stopped the movie a third of the way through because I couldn't stomach it anymore and it's not like Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg are worth watching. I heard enough racial epithets and saw enough berating and killing of the "others" to finally cry "Uncle!" I don't know, maybe this movie has a wonderful ending; I'm not sticking around to find out.