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Three Kings
1999
David O. Russell makes his entry into the major studio big leagues with this electric war dramedy. The charged script, based on a fictional story by John Ridley, is a sly reworking of KELLY'S HEROES that concerns four Gulf War soldiers who discover a map that potentially leads to an enormous stash of gold bullion. Russell gives .. Read more
| Starring | George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Nora Dunn |
|---|---|
| Director | David O. Russell |
| Genres | Drama |
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Three Kings
David O. Russell makes his entry into the major studio big leagues with this electric war dramedy. The charged script, based on a fictional story by John Ridley, is a sly reworking of KELLY'S HEROES that concerns four Gulf War soldiers who discover a map that potentially leads to an enormous stash of gold bullion. Russell gives his actors a chance to shine with roles that step outside of the usual cinematic cliches and enable them to create humanistic, believable characters, resulting in one of 1999's most exciting, original and underrated motion pictures.
| Starring | George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Nora Dunn, Jamie Kennedy, Mykelti Williamson, Cliff Curtis, Said Taghmaoui, Holt McCallany, Judy Greer, Liz Stauber, Spike Jonze |
|---|---|
| Director | David O. Russell |
| Studio | WARNER HOME VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 54 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, Bulgarian, English, Romanian |
| Released | DVD: 21 Feb 2005 Production year: 1999 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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This superb — though very violent — mix of comedy, drama and action is set at the end of the Gulf War. Hearing a rumour that Saddam Hussein has stashed stolen gold in bunkers, US soldiers George Clooney, Ice Cube and Mark Wahlberg embark on a secret field trip with the help of a map they find concealed about an Iraqi soldier's person (you don't want to know where). It seems simple enough: grab the bullion and be rich for the rest of their lives. However, when they encounter Iraqi dissidents being tortured by Saddam's men, the guys reluctantly agree to help them. Wittily scripted by director David O Russell, it boasts terrific performances (especially from Clooney) and takes some well-aimed stabs at the late 20th-century phenomenon of war waged on television. Reckless, gripping and unmissable.
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Ironic, blackly humorous drama that manages to take seriously the messy mechanics of war while staying within most of the conventions of a caper movie, and adding some unsettling photographic effects to the genre.
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Most helpful member's review
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9 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Three Kings
George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube form a fantastic trio of soldiers brought together in the aftermath of the first Gulf War.
The most interesting aspect of this film is the way it is shot - in order to demonstrate the dry heat in the desert, the film is shot in bright light and viewers are warned not to adjust their television sets. It works remarkably well - as do the stunts and special effects.
Whilst Wahlberg is typically cool and popular, it is actually Ice Cube who isn't typecast as a gun-toting war enthusiast but as someone who is actually very peaceful and who plays by the rules.
The soundtrack takes you back to the early 90's which is also great! -
Most recent members' review
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4 out of 4 people found this review helpful
too much swearing
There was way too much swearing, we only watched a few minutes, so it was rather disappointing.
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