George Clooney plays Special Forces Captain Archie Gates. Gates is two weeks away from retirement but is ordered to work with a TV crew doing stories on the soldiers in the Gulf. He hears about these soldiers who seem to have found a treasure map in the ass of one of the Iraqi soliders. The map leads to gold bullion that Saddam Hussein stole from Kuwait. Gates decides, along with three others, to steal that gold for themselves. So along with Mark Wahlberg (Sergeant Troy Barlow), Ice Cube (Staff Sergeant Chief Elgin), and Spike Jonez (Private Conrad Vig), Gates sets out to find the gold. Their plan is changed however, when they come upon the bunkers, and realize that Iraqi soldiers, under orders from Hussein, have taken civilian rebels captive, and are holding them hostage. The four men must decide whether to take the money and run, or stay and help these people escape the brutal conditions they now live in.
The Gulf War has always been considered the first televised war, and the look and feel of the movie was such that it felt more like rough TV footage, rather than a polished Hollywood film. The initial story line of trying to steal some gold was very simple, but that changed as the movie progressed, turning it into a serious look at the lives of people after a war has taken place in their country. The United States told the people of Iraq to raise arms against Hussein, but once the war was over, we deserted them and left them to fight against Hussein's army by themselves, a battle they couldn't (and can't) possibly win. When the four soldiers actually see this part of war, they start to wonder what they were really fighting for. The movie started as a dark comedy. From the scene with the map in the ass, to the exploding cows, the story was dark but humorous. Once the rebel captives were found, and one mother was shot for no apparent reason, the feel of the film took a turn. It got very serious and stayed that way for the rest of the film. It followed the mood of the characters, who initially were jaded to the idea of war. Three of the soldiers hadn't seen any battle and didn't really know what war felt like. They were content to throw footballs in the air for target practice. That part of the movie was lighthearted. But once they saw how war affected the Iraqi's, their mood changed, along with the tone of the film.
The movie was shot in such a way to make it look very grainy. A lot of the shots set outside blew out the background, making it seem very bright behind the actors. The action/war scenes were done very quickly and had sort of a poor man's Saving Private Ryan opening sequence feel to it. There were quick cuts and slow motion sequences during battle scenes to give it a different kind of feel. Sort of like you were travelling with the bullet to its final destination. There were some horrifying sequences that you normally don't see in mainstream films (like the mother being shot in the head) that made the movie more realistic. Most movies would never show a woman getting her head blown off, or a child being crushed under falling rocks, but this movie did and I appreciated it. It showed the horror of war to both the audience, and the soldiers in the film. It made both realize what was happening in a way you could actually see instead of hear about.
So overall Three Kings was a very strong film with a very strong story. Clooney, Wahlberg and Ice Cube form a very strong core of actors that helped carry this sometimes disturbing story. At all times you were shown the effects of war and were constantly moved by what was happening on screen. This is not a movie for everyone, but definitely one to go see.
 Maxim |
 Premiere |
 ESPN |
