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Summary: A movie to make you rethink all war movies!
Review: Three Kings is not a typical war movie. In fact, it's not even a typical movie to begin with.The director used THREE different types of film and colors to achieve emotional and visual effects not seen before. Featuring three of the most unlikely stars in a movie we're drawn back in time to the Persian Gulf War where were taken inside the minds, motives, emotions and belief systems of American soliders, reporters, Iraqi soliders and Iraqi people. The movie shines a light on the real motives behind us fighting Iraq and how true American values help these soldiers find the real reason they are there. A must for any DVD collection!
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Summary: thoughtful, clever, grim, funny
Review: A gripping look at the ambiguities of war, and the pathetic incoherence of the gulf war in particular. Feel good ending out of sync with the rest of the film, but a great sense of absurdity
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Summary: Wow...this movie should be required viewing now
Review: I've always loved this movie, as either escapist entertainment or incisive political satire. But after recent tragic events in the USA and Afghanistan, the commentary track by writer/director David O. Russell should be required viewing by anyone interested in trying to understand the many complicated sides to this issue. How could we not see all this coming? Maybe if more people purchased this dvd instead of the hype-winner of 1999 "American Beauty", we'd be a little more sensitive to the innocent people caught in the middle on both sides of the war. The movie gets 4 1/2 stars, but the commentary gets 5.
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Summary: Best film of '99, 2nd best of the decade
Review: This film was easily the best movie of 1999. I walked out of the theater flabbergasted by its depth, humor, insight, impact, and execution. Only Tarantino's masterpiece Pulp Fiction edges this film as the best of the 1990s. I am still surprised when people who haven't seen it give me a strange look when I mention it. It is a war movie of the type rarely seen. Not since Bridge on the River Kwai has a film so cleverly recognized the necessity of war and simultaneously shown the frustration and illogic of war's conduct. No one is saying Sadam isn't a bad guy, but weird things happen when lives are on the line, and as we constantly learn, those the United States teaches to fight today might decide to fight us tomorrow. A brilliant portrayal of how war is changing and staying the same. Those in a hurry to worship Soderberg need to give Russell a gander, he's a far, far better filmmaker.
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Summary: War movie classic, with fresh ideas
Review: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, and Spike Jonze are U.S. troops in Iraq with a personal mission. They plan to steal millions in Kuwaiti gold so they don't have to go back to their pointless day jobs. However, in the village where the gold is kept, a rebellion is occuring right when the men are transferring the gold. Seems president Bush(senior) asked the Iraqi people to overthrow Saddam. Some tried, problem was Bush didn't send troops to help them. After watching a cold blooded execution, Clooney's had enough and decides to help the revolting Iraqi's. They then have to go on the run from Iraqi troops to reach Iran where they'll be safe. Along the way though, the men learn some lessons from the Iraqis. Maybe, the U.S. troop's intentions in the Gulf weren't all that honorable(were we there for oil)? Eventually, the men do the honorable thing though, the truly American thing. The movies laced with dark humor, and a lot of little funny situations that will make you think differently about Arabs in the middle east.
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Summary: Truth can be stranger than fiction ...
Review: What a total surprise. I started to watch this movie expecting a lot of fluff and silly 'Die Hard' kind of chases but instead I got an action packed DVD with some surprisingly good acting and even some political criticism that, altough it bristled my republican heart, it was correct and worked into the movie. Briefly, the film is based on a group of US soldiers, in Iraq, shortly after the surrender by that nutbag Saddam Hussein. After capturing an Iraqui soldier with a secret map of the location of Iraqi gold that was stolen from Kuwait the team of soldiers decide to take an exctracurricular foray into the desert to libertae some of those gold buliion bars for their personal 'war trophies'. The band of soldiers find the underground warehouses full of gold in the middle of remote desert villages with no problem, but, what they didn't count on was that these riches were all guarded by well armed Iraqui soldiers. The fabulous twist here (and an all to true twist) is that htese soldiers really cared more for their own lives and keeping the population under control rather than protect Husseins gold. Our band of thieving soldiers than faced a dilemma in doing the right thing in freeing villagers who were asked by the pres Bush to rise against Hussein with nothing more than a magic carpet in their hands, or, liberate the gold and sneak it back home ...... ( yes the movie does repeatedly bring the point home that the US enbcouraged Iriquis top revolt and then left them holding the bag) Another pleasant surprise is the acting if Ice Cube ... fabulous .....
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Summary: INTELLIGENT
Review: Three Kings was a stunningly good film. Also quite a departure from the man who gave us the comedy Flirting with Disaster. Although there are many funny and ironic parts in Three Kings, overall the backdrop of post-war Iraq/Kuwait is not pretty. George Clooney, Ice Cube, and Mark Wahlberg make a great team, with a bumbling, backwards Spike Jonze in tow. A few military guys find a map (interesting where they find it) which illustrates where Saddam Hussein is keeping Kuwaiti stolen property (gold, for example). The men are not quite sure what to do with it, but before they can decide George Clooney (who by far outranks all of them) has heard about the map and wants to make a plan to get the gold for themselves. Things all move along smoothly until they reach the village where a large amount of gold is stored. They steal the gold and are about the leave when the brutality of the Iraqi soldiers is so great that Clooney cannot leave without trying to take the people with him. This sets of a chain of unfortunate events, including some injuries to personnel, Wahlberg's being taken prisoner by the Iraqis, and even death. The film takes a serious look at the aftermath of the war with Iraq on the daily lives of the people. The people were encouraged to rise up against their oppressor but were given absolutely no support once they did. And they paid for that. The film also portrays Iraqis and other Middle Eastern people as regular, intelligent people who have families, run businesses, and have the same sorts of concerns as people everywhere else in the world. Unfortunately people who were made to pay for the fanaticism of their leader. (Which rings true now with someone of the anti-Arab backlash from the September 11th terrorist attacks in the U.S. Now every Arab-American or follower of Islam is condemned for the attacks perpetrated by a small minority).
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Summary: The Price Of Honor
Review: Three Kings: rated R, 1 hour and 50 minutes Three Kings is an excellent, uniquely modern, and stylish war movie. Though it starts off slowly, it picks up pace and clearly makes its point. What makes it stand out as a war movie is its ability to entertain the viewer as an upbeat film rather than being utterly depressing. That's not to say that Three Kings doesn't have its moments of shocking realism. However, comical lines scattered throughout the movie, along with trendy actors who display a natural talent for contemporary filmmaking keep the movie in its place. In the end, Three Kings is exceptionally satisfying.
Four young military men set off on their own personal expedition at the conclusion of the Gulf War to retrieve a bundle of stolen Kuwaiti riches amassed by Saddam Hussein. The plan was shrewdly devised to appear straightforward and feasible, until the men put it into action. Things then seem to become increasingly complicated. The four run into a slew of obstacles that threaten to hinder their chances of success. Major Archie Gates, played by George Clooney, decrees the ultimate ambition for a human being to be necessity. Later, he admits that necessity often changes its form. In this case, the necessities of the four soldiers evolve from their intention to avoid returning to their day jobs, into their desire to save as many human lives as possible. The operation begins as a greedy mission to acquire individual wealth, but metamorphoses into a test of valor and heroism. The men's integrity is challenged. They must inevitably contend with what is the right thing to do.
The quest develops into one of virtue and greater reward than the success of a single man. It underscores the power of individual to make a difference in the world. Sacrifices are made and lives are lost, but for the most part, righteousness prevails. That is the main message of the movie. Humans have the capacity to do good as well as evil.
The final scene of the movie is particularly engrossing. Without giving too much away, the surviving military men arrive at the completion of their undertaking, only to find that everything they have worked for, and everything they have forfeited for their noble cause has amounted to absolutely nothing. Wounded, and helpless prisoners to those that seek to punish them, in addition to being responsible for the lives of many innocent Iraqi refugees, all hope seems to be lost. It would require an even greater sacrifice to free them from the current predicament. Once again, their decency is questioned. This is perhaps the gloomiest, most miserable scene in the movie.
George Clooney is suitable in the role as the leader of the group and the initiator of the mission. Spike Jonze is pleasant as the ignorant, unschooled member of the team. Ice Cube is all around excellent, exhibiting a strong sense of maturity in acting that was questionable prior to this movie. Somewhat surprisingly, the finest actor of all in this film was former singer, Mark Wahlberg. Troy Barlow (Mark's character) was a compassionate and highly admirable character that learns from his experiences. Not only does Barlow grow as a person, but also Wahlberg grows as an actor. It was the scenes focusing on Barlow that were most poignant. On the whole, the acting in the movie was as highly respectable, as the movie itself.
Three Kings delivers by nearly every means possible. Smart, funny, captivating, and emotional, it thoroughly fulfills its audience's expectations.
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Summary: A Movie For Our Time
Review: This film has so much to say on so many levels. Please see it.
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Summary: The first ever intelligent action movie
Review: Three kings is the first ever intelligent action movie, as well as one of the finest war films ever made. A bazooka missile is launched at a tanker truck... the heroes dive, and there is no cheesy explosion - the truck is filled with milk. Another scene involves Cube taking down a helicopter like a badass. After he takes it down and stares down at the wreckage - he does not say a stupid one-liner. The "bad guys", if you can call them that, are portrayed as real human beings instead of some unrealistic evil army. About the only action movie cliche in the movie is when Wahlberg takes a hit in a bulletproof vest, but it's forgiveable.
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