George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze (director of Being John Malkovich) play a quartet of U.S. soldiers who, disillusioned by Operation Desert Storm, decide to steal million in gold hijacked from Kuwait by Saddam Hussein's army. Getting the bullion out of an Iraqi stronghold is easy; keeping it is a potentially lethal proposition. By the end of their mercenary mission, the Americans can no longer ignore wartime atrocities (and neither can we--the film is boldly unflinching), and conscience demands their aid to Kuwaiti rebels abandoned by President George Bush's fickle wartime policy. This is serious stuff indeed, but Russell infuses Three Kings with a keen sense of the absurd, and the entire film is an exercise in breathtaking visual ingenuity. Despite a conventional ending that's mildly disappointing for such a brashly original film, Three Kings conveys the brutal madness of war while making you laugh out loud at the insanity. --Jeff Shannon
This is a film about four soldiers who choose to save the lives of refugees over money and military orders. It shows the desert storm conflict from all sides: the military, the enemy, and the innocents caught in the crossfire. For another great film about desert storm I recommend Jarhead by Sam Mendes.
Moralism colliding with Comedy - Jean E. Pouliot - Newburyport, MA United States
Set at the end of the first Gulf War, what started out as a great caper film got bogged down with cheap moralizing and maudlin touches. Three (our four, depending on how you count) soldiers find a map to treasure that the Iraqis have looted from Kuwait. Determined to grab their share of the loot, they take off on a cross-desert excursion. But soon they are face with Conscience-Awakening Situations -- in the shape of Iraqi townsfolk beset by the Saddam's rapacious Republican Guard. They must decide between keep the swag, or being good guys.
The film had great potential as a military black comedy. But like the more maudlin episode of MASH, it preferred to ascend the bunghole of its own self- righteousness. A disappointment.
Three Kings (Snap Case) - Arnita D. Brown - USA
A small group of adventurous American soldiers in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War are determined to steal a huge cache of gold reputed to be hidden somewhere near their desert base. Finding a map they believe will take them to the gold, they embark on a journey that leads to unexpected discoveries, enabling them to rise to a heroic challenge that drastically changes their lives. This movie is extremely funny at times, graphically violent at times, but always on target. A very intelligent script make this a must see movie.
This one HAS to be a Blu-ray version sooner, not later! - Leebo - Kyoto, Japan
I've loved this movie since it came out on DVD. Years ago I had the chance to see it with a friend at a cineplex here in Japan, but he was from England and pushed to see a Pierce Brosnan "007" movie instead!?? HUGE error on my part - I should have pushed back harder! BUT now there's some possibility that a Blu-ray version of THREE KINGS will eventually be published, I HOPE. I mean, other good war movies are getting the Blu-ray treatment (Saving Private Ryan, Hurt Locker, Band of Brothers, etc.), so I certainly hope that this one makes the cut. I'm ready!
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