Rating: 
Summary: More than war in this war movie.
Review: "Three Kings" is a fictional story from what looks like will be termed from now on as the first Gulf War, about four soldiers out to steal gold Saddam stole from Kuwait. Meanwhile, Saddam's Republican Guard has more important things to do, like suppressing the uprising of their own people. Clooney and company step in when an innocent mother is executed by the Iraqi military, and our American heroes spend the rest of the film trying to save the villagers (against U.S. policy) and the gold, until a point is reached where it is either one or the other. Good mixture of drama and comedic relief, along with a less mainstream approach to filmmaking.
Rating: 
Summary: Heart on its sleeve...and still very, very relevant
Review: 'Three Kings' is a fabulous take on the Gulf War, and the brllliance of it is that it *starts* at the conclusion of the war, and takes the position that - while the US fomented uprising and revolution in the northern and southern parts of Iraq - we failed to follow up with any meaningful assistance. The upshot? Our half-baked execution left thousands at the hands of Saddam's brutal retribution.Now, as we prepare for Gulf War II, David O. Russell's insight strikes at the heart of what everyone needs to be asking: what happens *after* Saddam? Is the commitment to follow through there? What are the odds of establishing a democratic state after 20+ years of brutal Baathist suppression? Russell's film shows you just how complex these issues can be when you're on the ground in the heat of engagement. Another kick is seeing a movie that hews closely to the plotlines of one of my all-time favorites, "Kelly's Heroes." George Clooney, you're no Clint Eastwood. But who is?
Rating:
Summary: A breakout for George Clooney and others.
Review: This movie will always be one of my favorites. This is where George Clooney really comes into his own in acting. I saw this in the theaters and thought how could George and Ice Cube make a movie work? Such an odd pairing really made this movie stand out though. A great mix of seriousness and a little bit of comedy mixed in. Spike Jonez was also a great actor in the moive. The movie really gives the view of actually what it was like in the gulf war. This is definitly a DVD to have in your connection.
Rating:
Summary: Bush Sr.'s War on Saddam Hussein
Review: Wow, what an incredible film! This movie was enormously underrated when it came out, and I regret that I did not see it when it was first released. Exceptional performances from the four leads here (Spike Jonze included) and a tour de force from Saturday Night Live alum Nora Dunn as the brash American reporter. While this is an action film that never lets up, it also shows us how our government picks and chooses its battles as well as its motivations and timing for putting them into effect. George Bush Sr. waged a war with selectivity and lack of concern for innocent civilians; this is the ideal movie to watch as we now contemplate war with Iraq yet again with Bush Jr. at the helm. Also, the juxtaposition of the traditional Middle Eastern world with American goods and culture speaks for itself. Three Kings is now officially one of my favorite films ever.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable!
Review: I really enjoyed this film. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube gave great performances. While parts of the movie were graphic and disturbing, it definitely would appeal to a more mature audience. I liked it alot, despite the language and violence. At the end, you were really pulling for "the three kings". Watch it, it's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: An Absurdist War Film
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect from Three Kings. Billed as a comedy it was somewhat wrong. Not that there isn't humor in Three Kings, at times it's very funny in a black humor kind of way. Where it shines is it's multilayered view of the 1991 Gulf War. The opening shot sums up the film. The war is over, an Iraqi stands on top of a bunker, he waives. The major issue is whether soldiers are still shooting with no one knowing. At once it lets viewers know this war was not like others, nothing is particularly clear - not unlike battles during a war - but typical of the convoluted policies behind the Gulf War. Politics are part of this film, still there are many interesting aspects to it. The acting is excellent and characters well defined. The air of confusion pervades the plot and view of the film's principle characters. There is the cynical veteran and young men who saw no action but think it is glamorous. There are the Iraqi people who's plight becomes more and more a part of the film as the soldiers change from, for lack of a better word, looters to men of concience. All the while there is a mix of adventure, humor and a touch of surrealism. Camera shots are gritty in the mostly outdoor film but are mixed with point of view and point of bullet's view which make for a visually unique film. By film's end the main characters go from likeable rogues to noble heros. There's a lot of great themes within the film and some memorable dialog.
The extra material on the DVD delve deeper into the main themes of the film which enhances the experience. One of the best films of 1999.
Rating:
Summary: Very Stylish, Very Fun
Review: I loved this movie. It was stylish, smart, and very, very funny. Some of the technical accomplishments are stunning, especially considering this is the director's first film. It has the feel of something done by a master of the medium. The Director obviously understands the medium thoroughly. My only fault is the excessive swearing, and the gratuitous sex scene at the beginning. Neither were necessary to advance the story. There were also a couple of hole in the plot, especially concerning the female reporter who is chasing Clooney's bunch through the desert. I laughed out loud, and it's a rare movie that can make me do that! This film confirms my opinion that George Clooney is a Hollywood Treasure.
Rating: 
Summary: Actually, it's more like Two Pair
Review: I wanted to love this movie, but wound up liking it. The problem: The writer/director has written a brainy script, cleverly layering lots of challenging and occasionally comic ideas, but unhappily, there's too little feeling. In the end, there's something empty about Three Kings; it's interesting but not captivating. It feels like a really good op ed piece, but it doesn't linger in memory as all great films do. The break between thought and feeling comes out plainly in the DVD extras. When the director talks about his views/research on the Gulf War, his narrative comes to life. In fact, watching this film with Russell's narrative is BETTER than watching the film itself, because the best moments in Three Kings are all idea-driven. On the other hand, when Russell talks about conveying feeling in the film, he admits that he decided to skimp on character development and shoot for satire/farce, and he dwells on his choices of film stock, hoping cinematic effects will convey feeling not found in the writing. Sadly, Russell overbets on both hands and loses. If you like polemical/political films with some style to them, try The Year of Living Dangerously as a comparison film. That one is as well thought out as Three Kings, and while it wears its heart on its sleeve, there are moments in that film that crackle with life and are moving as well as thought provoking.
Rating:
Summary: Gold Rush...
Review: One of the few mainstream films to be set in the Gulf War, Three Kings, is an interesting, entertaining, critically acclaimed, but totally improbable military adventure. In 1991, during the clean up operations after the end of the war, reservist soldiers Barlow (Mark Wahlberg) and Vig (Spike Jonze), discover a map ...of a captured Iraqi prisoner. The two soldiers, along with Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) are reviewing the contents of the map when they are interrupted by Major Archie Gates (George Clooney). Gates, from Special Forces, shows the group that the prize to be had is actually stolen Kuwaiti gold bullion, hidden in a nearby village. Soon the group is on their way to claim the treasure from Saddam's Army, anticipating a "milk run", expecting to complete their mission in a morning's time. Arriving at the village, the group is greeted enthusiastically by the villagers. Iraqi soldiers are in control, and have as prisoners Bush inspired rebels, but no gold is to be found. Believing that they have made a mistake, the Americans leave. Realizing their mistake, they return to discover the gold in a hidden bunker, claiming it in the name of the USA. With the help of the occupying Iraqi soldiers, the bullion bars, housed in hand luggage, are loaded into an Iraqi truck. The group is about to leave the village, when an innocent civilian is brutally murdered. This incident starts a chain reaction of violence that changes the whole dynamic of their for profit only mission. It is also from this point, that much of the story's credibility falls away, and logic no longer seems to matter. The Americans, leave the village, taking as many of the Iraqi prisoners as they can. As they speed away, they are gassed by mortar fire, causing their vehicles to crash, and spilling the gold out on to the desert. Can perhaps six mortar rounds, really cause a large section of the desert to become so clouded with gas, that visibility is reduced to near zero? Then fortuitously, members of the rebel forces appear at exactly the right spot, to rescue their friends and the Americans, and recover the gold as well. They all then disappear into a hidden underground cave located in the middle of the desert. How lucky can you get? Meanwhile, after launching the gas attack, Saddam's finest head out into the desert and succeed in capturing Sgt. Barlow. Yet somehow they don't pursue anyone else, and have absolutely no interest in recovering any of the stolen bullion. Barlow is immediately transported to a holding facility for interrogation. Information is apparently more valuable than gold. From this point, Three Kings continues along an improbable path to a questionable conclusion. The US Army is apparently unable to locate the renegade group, which is operating within driving distance of their base camp. If you ignore the elements which don't make too much sense, and just concentrate on the film's technical and action aspects, there is much that is impressive and entertaining. George Clooney is always a competent lead actor, and the supporting cast is solid. Cliff Curtis a Maori from New Zealand, is excellent as the Iraqi rebel leader. The film covers events that few others have been willing to deal with, and has much to say about the nature of war, and the Gulf War in particular. However, the logical inconsistencies, and rather weak ending do distract from the film's total impact. Three Kings is good film well worth seeing, but falls well short of being a great one. The DVD is loaded with many extras including several commentaries, and a making of featurette.
Rating:
Summary: Getting the color and framing right
Review: I would give the story line a four star rating, but I have a difference of opinion with the director's choice of color production in certain scenes in this movie. He claims he wants to set a mood with the off color and tint in some scenes. I've always felt that the dialogue and the accompanying music should set the scene, and not the color tint, particularly when the tint casts unsightly hues on a character's face. It's one thing to shoot a scene where there is, let's say, a sole blue bulb in the room, but it's totally another thing to change the natural lighting of a scene in order to create a certain mood - it doesn't happen that way in real life. I'm not saying you can never use it, but it is akin to using "and" & "but" to start a sentence - it can be done, but should be done very sparingly. In fact, this director can take a page from the movies that feature predominantly black stars. They consistantly shoot in full spectrum light which gives the scenes a very natural look, and make it a pleasure to watch. These movies are great to revisit for the sheer beauty on how they were shot. Whether the scene is shot indoors or outdoors, whether the scene is shot in the daytime or at night, the end results are good. They rarely cut off peoples heads due to photographical choices. Come on guys, that intimate close up shot can only go but so far - a close up on someone's smile, or of someone's eyes is very undesirable when viewed on a 90' x 40' movie theater screen, and still looks just as bad on home theater systems in the 50" to 200" range. The makers of Three Kings should get some pointers on how to make a film look good and natural by contacting Miramax. In their film Shakespeare In Love, they turn out a film that had so many of the aspects of photography correct. Whether the scene was brightly or dimly lighted, the colors were well saturated, had good shadow detail, had great texture detail, great contrast and framed well. I have revisited this movie many times just for the sheer joy of watching good photography on film. On the other hand, I'm not going to revisit the Three Kings until I make a personal dub of it, and record all questionable scenes in black and white with my DVD burner, or maybe I'll just watch it in black and white.
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