Regardless of any backlash you may have heard, this film is a flat-out masterpiece. It's blend of action, comedy, and drama is perfect enough that any moviegoer can find ultimate satisfaction with it. The story is fun, the dialogue is hilarious, and the situations range from hilarious to shockingly emotional and intense. In fact, the film is something like watching humor and seriousness fight it out. By the end, you're exhausted.
The film's plot begins once the Persian Gulf War is over. Soldiers are celebrating, and a peace treaty between the U.S. and Iraq has been signed. Everything's cool. The morning after the celebration, three of the soldiers, Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), and Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) come across a map in an Iraqi POW's ass. It is a map to millions of dollars worth of Kuwaiti gold, stolen by Saddam. The soldiers, not entire;y satisfied by the lack of action in the war, decide to steal the gold to make the time served worthwhile. A greedy special forces officer, Archie Gates (George Clooney) steps in, declaring himself the leader, and off they go. Shortly after they find the gold however, things quickly go wrong. Saddam's soldiers begin slaughtering Iraqi civilians, whom Bush had advised to rise up against Saddam. Putting humanity before greed, the men decide to help the civilians...
The plot moves at a fast pace, and every scene is entertaining. The dialogue is a joy to listen to, and is chock full of hilarious lines and witty insight. The comedy ranges from clever, and/or silly one-liners, and some of the most surreal situations ever filmed. A cow steps on a hidden bomb, and blows up. Mark Wahlberg's character contacts his wife while briefly imprisoned in a bunker that is stocked full of cordless phones. And don't even get me started on the ambitious reporter Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn) and her dimwitted escort (Jamie Kennedy)... Moments like these come frequently, always hitting their comedic mark- and after the first half hour, are usually followed by stuff like a woman being shot in the head in front of her young daughter, and a torture scene that ironically brings much humanity to the Iraqi soldiers. The scenes often cancel each other out. Comedic scenes usually end in, or involve something serious, and much of the serious stuff involves, or ends in something funny ("what is the deal with Michael Jackson?). And yes, the film is quite violent, and though not nearly as gory as war films such as Black Hawk Down, and Saving Private Ryan, there are still plenty of scenes that may churn the stomachs of squeamish viewers (the demonstration of how a bullet effects the body from the inside made me kind of nauseous).
The performances are also great, and with a cast like this, I'm surprised that the movie doesn't have nearly as much recognition as it deserves. George Clooney is perfect as Archie Gates. He is sarcastic, greedy, and often rude, yet you take him seriously when his more selfless side emerges. Mark Wahlberg is funny in a strangely emotional way, as Troy Barlow. Spike Jonze is flat-out hysterical as the annoyingly lovable, poorly educated redneck, Conrad Vig. And Ice Cube, who is a great actor when given the right roles (Boyz N the Hood), is great, though he is given a bit less to do than his co-stars. After the hilarious first half-hour, his role rarely requires too much "acting".
The film is shot in a style that gives it a realistic look, and leaves you in need of air conditioning. The color appears to be on the maximum brightness level, and everything seems to have a reflection, even if all it reflects is bright light. The look gives the film a gritty and downbeat tone, which in a way makes the film even funnier, as the absurd humor almost comes as unexpected in such a real, and harsh looking film. Don't sit too close to a TV when watching this.
The film is a masterpiece, one of the greatest films ever made in my eyes. It provides more sheer entertainment and pleasure than half the movies made these days. Watch it as the entertaining action-comedy-drama that it is, and don't worry too much about the political content, which is irrelevant compared to the fun. Three Kings is on of the most exhilarating, downright brilliant movies I've ever seen, and I give it my full recommendation of 10/10.
Three Kings is rated R for Graphic War Violence, Language, and Brief Sexuality.
Sex- 5/10 Violence- 9/10 Swearing- 10/10 Drugs- 3/10
The film's plot begins once the Persian Gulf War is over. Soldiers are celebrating, and a peace treaty between the U.S. and Iraq has been signed. Everything's cool. The morning after the celebration, three of the soldiers, Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), and Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) come across a map in an Iraqi POW's ass. It is a map to millions of dollars worth of Kuwaiti gold, stolen by Saddam. The soldiers, not entire;y satisfied by the lack of action in the war, decide to steal the gold to make the time served worthwhile. A greedy special forces officer, Archie Gates (George Clooney) steps in, declaring himself the leader, and off they go. Shortly after they find the gold however, things quickly go wrong. Saddam's soldiers begin slaughtering Iraqi civilians, whom Bush had advised to rise up against Saddam. Putting humanity before greed, the men decide to help the civilians...
The plot moves at a fast pace, and every scene is entertaining. The dialogue is a joy to listen to, and is chock full of hilarious lines and witty insight. The comedy ranges from clever, and/or silly one-liners, and some of the most surreal situations ever filmed. A cow steps on a hidden bomb, and blows up. Mark Wahlberg's character contacts his wife while briefly imprisoned in a bunker that is stocked full of cordless phones. And don't even get me started on the ambitious reporter Adriana Cruz (Nora Dunn) and her dimwitted escort (Jamie Kennedy)... Moments like these come frequently, always hitting their comedic mark- and after the first half hour, are usually followed by stuff like a woman being shot in the head in front of her young daughter, and a torture scene that ironically brings much humanity to the Iraqi soldiers. The scenes often cancel each other out. Comedic scenes usually end in, or involve something serious, and much of the serious stuff involves, or ends in something funny ("what is the deal with Michael Jackson?). And yes, the film is quite violent, and though not nearly as gory as war films such as Black Hawk Down, and Saving Private Ryan, there are still plenty of scenes that may churn the stomachs of squeamish viewers (the demonstration of how a bullet effects the body from the inside made me kind of nauseous).
The performances are also great, and with a cast like this, I'm surprised that the movie doesn't have nearly as much recognition as it deserves. George Clooney is perfect as Archie Gates. He is sarcastic, greedy, and often rude, yet you take him seriously when his more selfless side emerges. Mark Wahlberg is funny in a strangely emotional way, as Troy Barlow. Spike Jonze is flat-out hysterical as the annoyingly lovable, poorly educated redneck, Conrad Vig. And Ice Cube, who is a great actor when given the right roles (Boyz N the Hood), is great, though he is given a bit less to do than his co-stars. After the hilarious first half-hour, his role rarely requires too much "acting".
The film is shot in a style that gives it a realistic look, and leaves you in need of air conditioning. The color appears to be on the maximum brightness level, and everything seems to have a reflection, even if all it reflects is bright light. The look gives the film a gritty and downbeat tone, which in a way makes the film even funnier, as the absurd humor almost comes as unexpected in such a real, and harsh looking film. Don't sit too close to a TV when watching this.
The film is a masterpiece, one of the greatest films ever made in my eyes. It provides more sheer entertainment and pleasure than half the movies made these days. Watch it as the entertaining action-comedy-drama that it is, and don't worry too much about the political content, which is irrelevant compared to the fun. Three Kings is on of the most exhilarating, downright brilliant movies I've ever seen, and I give it my full recommendation of 10/10.
Three Kings is rated R for Graphic War Violence, Language, and Brief Sexuality.
Sex- 5/10 Violence- 9/10 Swearing- 10/10 Drugs- 3/10