Three Kings (1999)

I remember when THREE KINGS was released in Britain it got a lot of great reviews from the press and remember one of these reviews described it as " The best war movie since APOCALYPSE NOW " Well after watching THREE KINGS I`ve got to ask if this newspaper film critic has actually seen APOCALYPSE NOW ? She might have seen THREE KINGS but in no way is it " The best war movie since APOCALYPSE NOW " . How can it ? It`s not even a war movie.

A caper movie is what THREE KINGS is , and a pretty poor one at that . In fact it`s a bit of a misnomer to describe it as a caper movie anymore than it`s a war movie and that`s the problem because one minute it`s trying to be a cynical comedy , then it`s a farce , then it`s an action adventure , then it`s back to cynical comedy. I kid you not , the only genres not represented are hardcore porn and the musical . And the most offensive thing is that this film even tries to have serious discussions on war in general and the 1991 Gulf war in particular. Oh and Michael Jackson is also discussed , yup nothing like bringing MJ into a serious discussion on the horrors of war.

So if this film is so bad ( Make no mistake it is bad ) why did it get so many good reviews . Well I do remember that the woman who described it as " The best war movie since .... " was a woman , and most of the reviewers who liked it were women and I`m making a very good educated guess when I say George Clooney might have had something to do with their opinions of THREE KINGS . Being a hetrosexual male I judge an actor on their ability and range , not on their looks and I`m afraid Clooney is an actor without much talent , the character he plays in THREE KINGS is basically the same one he plays in FROM DUSK TILL DAWN and OCEAN`S 11 . He also shoots some bad guys just like he did in THE PEACEMAKER and he gets to do some emergency surgery like in ER . Sorry to break your hearts girls but there`s three certainties in life: Death , taxes , and George Clooney never ever winning an Oscar .

Maybe someone will do a remake called THREE BIMBOS in which Salma Hayek runs around the Afghan mountains looking for some gold hidden by the taliban wearing nothing except a tight skimpy bikini ? I can imagine the reviews now with every hetrosexual male film reviewer saying " This is the best war film since APOCALYPSE NOW . - No strike that . THREE BIMBOS is the best film I have ever seen "

Fmovies: In the aftermath of Desert Storm a group of soldiers find a secret map showing a bunker containing Kuwaiti gold. When they begin to go for the gold they find little resistance from an Iraqi army more concerned with killing civilians than protecting gold. The uprising had started when the US army had encouraged civilians to rebel but now will not support them.

When I first saw the trailer for this I knew nothing about it – from the way it was marketed I had assumed it was going to be a modern day `Kelly's Heroes' with bright comedy and good action scenes. On first viewing I was disappointed but interested. On second viewing I now see what this film was about and how badly marketed it had been. The plot is no comedy but is really an extreme anti-war film that condemns America's approach to the Gulf War.

When our characters go after the goal they go in a gung-ho manner, seeking only riches and not interested in the plight of the people. This is how America went in – not to protect the people but because of the impact the invasion was having on oil prices and reserves. The anti-war message is also hammered home in the gross close-up shots of how a bullet damages a body.

It's only in the final half hour that the film goes a little wrong – looking for an ending that isn't depressing in a subject that really can't have a `happy' ending and please American audiences. It has other weaknesses – some of the scenes are off subject , meaningless or just don't work. However for the majority this is a surprisingly good film that makes points that aren't seen in Hollywood films (and if this whole flag waving thing continues much longer, we won't see a counter opinion for quite a while).

The cast are good and deserve praise for choosing this film. Clooney and Wahlberg both add a large box office draw while for Jonze this made up a great summer of exposure. Ice Cube again shows that not all rappers have to do rubbish hip hop comedies to get into movies.

Overall this was betrayed by it's own marketing department and many people may not have liked it for that reason. However this is an intelligent anti-war film that has flaws but should be given respect for it's honesty and bravery.

I avoided this film for some time because I have a strong dislike of war films, particularly relatively recent wars. Too bad for me. I finally rented it because of the impressive works I've seen by Mr. Russell. This is not a war film, even though it takes place during a war, and in a war zone. This is a film of humanity. Like many other films that I find excellent, this film deals with the human condition on many levels. There's pathos, humor, love, violence, ad infinitum. You'd get a sterilized version of what this film shows on the evening news. It shows that our soldiers, just as ourselves, are human, with all our frailities. And, I believe, it gives an honest account of what life is like for the people of the Middle East.

Fine acting by truly fine actors, great cinematography, and a very intelligent script make this a must see film.

Three Kings fmovies. I remember the 1991 Gulf War well, and in fact visited the area in late 1991. After looking at the "extras" on the DVD version of Three Kings, you realize how accurate the movie is, having used USA veterans as consultants, and some of the extras were actually Guld War refugees. I rate it "8" of "10".

The movie is action-packed and well-acted. The only thing that threw me off a bit was the sometimes strange mixture of humor and tragedy - people graphically getting killed in one scene, and characters being in humorous situations the next. Still, it is an entertaining movie overall, and gives a great glimpse of what the Gulf War was all about.

I have to admit first I was born without the gene that understands why countries go to war. I don't understand who is fighting, why they are, the whole concept is a mystery to me. On a moral level its extremely offensive and completely unpleasant for all involved. So by extension its hard to watch a war movie because I go in already confused.

But I know a good movie when I see one, and this is a very good movie in many ways. This movie has a heart, some fantastic acting and something worthwhile to say. It was not hard to watch or understand, especially since, like I said, I don't always get it. But I will be watching this one again. At times it felt like a documentary. All the acting is so natural, no one makes a false move and you can't say that about most movies.

And I also didn't know Infiniti made a convertible!

8/10

With the exception of 'Magnolia'and 'The Green Mile', I don't believe that there was a movie as great as 'Three Kings' last year. It was a brilliant look at the Gulf War and stretched beyond the boundaries of all war movies before it. David O. Russell did an excellent job writing and directing this movie and George Clooney gave one of the best performances of the year. Mark Wahlberg proved that his work can go beyond that of Dirk Diggler. Spike Jonze was hilarious as Wahlberg's lacky. Watching the movie is a memorable experience. It's way out there with it's comedic sense of timing, awesome action sequences, and morals to match. It dealt with the political issues of the Gulf War which was seen as a pretty harmless war from an American's standpoint. Russell showed us the plight of the freedom fighters in Iraq and told a very serious story, but did it with a sense of humor that was neither tasteless nor melodramatic. Russell kept an even tone throughout the entire movie and perfectly blended the action,black comedy,and war genres into what was one of the year's best. An entertaining movie that never ceases to amaze me. I still am trying to figure out why it didn't get nominated for any Oscars. I hope that one day people will see this move for what it is...a masterpiece.