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Summary: Not your typical war movie
Review: Set in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf war, "Three Kings" is a gritty and surprisingly intelligent fable about war, greed, human nature and the media, and the effect these forces have on one another.With its door-kicking, guns-blazing plot, the film could stand alone as an action-adventure movie, but it also features dark humor and interesting camera work that lift it above the stereotypical "war movie". The movie can be shockingly graphic, but it uses the bloodshed selectively and to good effect. As in "Saving Private Ryan," the full absurdity and drama of a world turned upside-down by war couldn't be conveyed without the violence. Writer-director David Russell manages to take some stock war movie characters - the young man with a new baby at home struggling to do right by his family, the man due to be discharged in two weeks, the flinty officer who dislikes guns - and turn them into something that transcends it all. Most interestingly, he does it without the tempering hindsight or nostalgia afforded to those exploring earlier wars, like WWII or Vietnam. Those of us who got most of our information about Operation Desert Storm from the 10 o'clock news will both recognize the TV/MTV style Russell occasionally mimics and see a side of the conflict which wasn't covered heavily in the US. The lead actors - the pretty boy from "ER", two former rappers and the future director of "Being John Malkovich" - seem like strange picks at first, but they turn out to be terrific as everyday people forced into extraordinary situations.
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Summary: A dazzlingy cinematic film, the best of 1999
Review: "Three Kings" is a film a dazzling sense of style, it has a look and feel all it's own. I like movies that have their own sense of style and "Three Kings" has style to spare. I loved the bleached look of the film, it gave me a sense how it must have felt in desert storm, sand everywhere, isolated, sweltering heat. This is one of the most original films to come out of hollywood in quite some time. The acting and direction are excellent. It is really a shame when films like this get ignored and movies like a"Armageddon" are huge hits. The DVD is excellent also. In addition to excellent video and audio, the are two commentary tracks, three behind the scenes featurettes, and tons of hidden features. I recommend both the film and DVD very highly.
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Summary: Good thing Marky Mark went to Acting...
Review: I LOVE this movie! Not for the kiddies (GL,GV,N,RP), but unlike any other movie you've ever seen. Marky Mark, Clooney, and Ice Cube are three Desert Storm soldiers who steal a billion dollars in IRAQ-y gold boullion (goods). The deal made is that whoever survives the war gets the gold. A few parts get a little TOO gory, but it's well done overall. 5 of 5 stars.
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Summary: 'Three Kings' Is a Crown Jewel Among Films
Review: Three Kings may be the best war film of all time (yes, better than Saving Private Ryan). It's not because it's the most realistic or has the most impressive battle sequences (it has neither) but because it has an excellent plot and doesn't bother getting itself mixed up with that other stuff. Clooney and Wahlberg team up for the first of consecutive movies together, the other being the summer blockbuster The Perfect Storm, and are both equally as good. Clooney's a major two weeks from retirement and wants to leave the Gulf with something more than just sand. He hunts down a trio who've retrieved a map that they believe leads to a bunker filled with Kuwaiti gold. Along the way they manage to get entangled in the resistance movement and find themselves befriending they're precieved enemies. It defys all the sterotypes we have of the Arab people, here they're potrayed as real people trying to live and work but find themselves constantly roadblocked by Sadam's iron fist. After the skirmish Clooney and co. find themselves on the lam and looking for Wahlberg, whose fallen into enemy hands. In one of the most unforgetable scenes Wahlberg's questioned while being tortured about his country's misplaced values and comes to empathize with his captors. It's an excellent moment and movie, one that's totally unconvential, funny, dramatic and action-packed. The picture quality maintains it's integrity on the DVD and along with a slew of extras makes this a great addition to anyone's collection.
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Summary: A wild ride through Purgatory.
Review: Like a Graham Greene for the MTV Generation, David O. Russell in Three Kings sends four naive, greedy American soldiers searching for stolen gold at the end of the Persian Gulf War. They create untold havoc as they blunder into cultural and political situations they can't begin to understand, plunging themselves and countless others into layer after layer of mortal dangers. Those who survive learn that hardest of home truths: "No man is an island." This movie is tragic, horrifying, cynical, touching and roll-in-the-aisles hilarious--sometimes simultaneously. Using dazzling techniques of photography and montage, Russell keeps the characters and the audience alike completely unsettled and on guard throughout the film's running time; the approximate effect is like a rollercoaster ride through Purgatory, with the passengers uncertain whether the tracks haven't collapsed somewhere around the final hill. Those with weak stomachs should stay away, but those with adventurous tastes should seek out Three Kings immediately. (Final note: I never gave two hoots about ER or Marky Mark, but judging from this movie and The Perfect Storm, George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg are making strong bids to become the premier male stars of the coming decade.)
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Summary: Slick and enjoyable movie: perfectly cast
Review: Three Kings is a surprisingly enjoyable roller coaster ride through the Gulf War. George Clooney is perfectly cast as the ringleader of a group of soldiers who are seeking out Saddam Hussein's hoard of stolen gold. A young father, an airline baggage handler, a special forces officer, and a neurotic news reporter all contribute to the diverse cast of characters. What begins as a quest for wealth changes as the characters come to find that there is more to the war than their own interests. Don't want to say more without giving it all away, but strongly recommend seeing this film.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Idea Undermined By Strange Atmosphere
Review: Three Kings has a conventional story line in the mould of Kellys Heros. A group of American soldiers steal gold from a bunker behind enemy lines. The problem is that the film has been filmed unconventionally. Scenes are cut and jumped between with the brutality of a pop video complete with freeze frames, slow motions and blur shots. This style should generate pace but instead adds to the strange atmosphere of the film. Ever wondered what it looks like to be shot from inside a human body? No, neither have I. The director of Three Kings however repeatedly finds it strangely fascinating. A strange scene where one of the heroes is locked up waiting to be tortured and phones his wife from a discarded mobile phone should have been powerful or hilarious. Instead its just feels rushed and meaningless. The characters are superficial despite the theme of trying to show the American soldiers beginning to care about the civilians they exploit. In the end all of the emotion is pretty bland and unconvincing. The action is generally brief and unrealistic. There is a lot of off beat humour but very little of it is funny simply because the atmosphere of the film feels so weird anyway. The only thing that prevents this film from being a complete turkey is the always watchable George Clooney. Avoid. Rent or buy Kellys Heroes for the real deal.
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Summary: Captures the mood of Desert Shield/Storm
Review: Until there is a better film on Desert Shield/Storm, this is it. Like the others this one goes on its own tangent with a private myth and runs with it, I suppose a historically-accurate film would not be interesting enough. The thing the film conveys when you cut through all the 90s-ish hipness is that while we were celebrating, people in Iraq were suffering. To get us to see this, the writer has us go on a Kelly's Heroes type quest for gold. The point here is that America needs to improve its ability after a war at finishing the job and restoring to governmental power legitimate rulers who will not allow civilians to be brutalized. We all know we (our government) were unwilling to oust Saddam Hussein from power and attempt this. At some point we had best get "willing" and able to do this. The next thing to praise the film is how it depicts what happends when a bullet hits the human body, its highly instructive and begs the question why we don't have some sort of area disinfectant that can be sprinkled into a wound like we had sulfa powder in WWII? The awareness of the vulnerability of the HMMWV to land mines is shown in the movie, which is good. Clooney's character the Major seems technically and tactically proficient with the situation he has placed himself in (not enough men, mobility or firepower, certainly no back up). The ending was actually realistic in that the conventional military frowns upon initiative and would seek to punish those that practice it even if staring in their face was what the moral thing was to do. All in all, the movie was better than what I expected and should be viewed more in an artistic, detached manner as a sort of statement using metaphors. Airborne!
Rating:
Summary: Good addition to your collection
Review: Though the film its self is full holes and exaggerations, it is still a film worth watching. But as a DVD, it is a great addition to your collection. After all, it's still a film worth watching and the DVD comes with some good bonuses. I am glad I bought this DVD and would recommend othjers to do so as well.
Rating:
Summary: Why do they do that?
Review: Caveat Emptor !! This was an excellent movie, but one should be forewarned; this DVD is a "difficult" DVD, kind of like "The Matrix." Many DVD players have problems decoding them for some reason. This problem occurs most often with Warner Bros. DVD's, Three Kings being one of them. I wouldn't let this stop me from buying, but the pauses in the movie while the player decodes get tiresome.
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