Three Kings (1999)

People are voting emotionally.

Crappy film

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Blistering performances.

After the liberation of Kuwait in 1991 a cease fire has been declared but as rumours of looted gold start to circulate a US soldier finds a map hidden on an Iraqi prisoner. It isn't long before four soldiers are heading into Iraq to liberate the gold for themselves. Once there they also find Shiite Iraqis who have followed American advice to rise up against the Saddam Hussein government and have now been abandoned to their fate at the hands of the Iraqi forces. They get their hands on the gold but there problems are only just beginning; one of them is captured and if they want to rescue him they will have to work with the rebels then help them get to safety in Iran.When I first watched this I suspected it would be a remake of 'Kelly's Heroes'; thankfully, apart from the plan to get rich acquiring gold during a conflict, it is very different. There are lots of funny moments early on; some, such as the cow that explodes after stepping in a cluster bomblet, may be a bit dark for some people's taste. The laughs serve to make the more serious moments all the more shocking; when an Iraqi woman is shot in the head you know the tone of the film is taking a drastic change. There are disturbing scenes of torture where strangely it is hard not to feel some sympathy for the torturer as he relates what happened to his wife and child during a US bombing. The cast do a solid job; George Clooney is on good form as Archie Gates, the group's leader and is ably supported by Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze as the other four protagonists. The rest of the cast are pretty good too. The action scenes are exciting but manage to capture some of the horror of war without being too horrific… it certainly doesn't have the gung-ho feeling of many such films; war is not glorified. Overall I'd say that, while this certainly won't be for everybody, I'd recommend those who enjoy a war film and like their humour fairly dark.

Hands down one of the most Original, Unique and enjoyable films I've ever seen. To take a harsh gritty story about greed, The politics of war and the deaths of woman and children and combine both the harshness with the right blend of comedy was genius and it was all played out on screen perfectly. The story was superb and you truly didn't know where it was going or what would happen next, Combine that with the fusion of sad, funny and awe moments and this is surely one of the most rare films you will ever see. Written, Acted, directed and edited superbly, A must watch for all film enthusiasts looking for a truly captivating, thoroughly enjoyable and memorable film.

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.

Confusing evolution of a relatively simple plot line. Lots of gratuitous violence and strong language. While there were plenty of Saddam's treasures hidden around the country and some GIs may have been tempted by their recovery, the story is essentially far-fetched and grim. A liberal political message, albeit uneven, runs through the dialogue and can be summed up as pretty naïve. Having spent several weeks in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and along the Iraqi border (in the oil fields) on business days after the conflict ceased in Spring 1991, I found the film basically unpleasant and of minimal entertainment value. Given the intensity of the action, it was hard to judge the individual performances by the key players. I would not wish to see this film again.