July 2000

Three Kings
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

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Starring George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Spike Jonze

Directed by David O. Russell

Theatrical Release: 1999
DVD Release: 2000
Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen (Anamorphic)

Although Three Kings might seem like just another action-oriented war film, it is actually an anti-war comedy. It is kind of like a strange cross between Apocalypse Now and MASH. Three Kings has its fair share of action, but it is not superfluous. The action is actually driven by the story line and it is integral to the plot. Add to this some offbeat performances and punchy directing and you have what I consider to be one of the best films of 1999. I would not put it in the same class as American Beauty, or even Being John Malkovich, but I would certainly place it near the top of my list.

So what makes Three Kings so good? Well, for one thing, its surprising freshness. I mean who would expect a war film starring George Clooney, Ice Cube, and Mark Wahlberg to be so funny? There are also long stretches with very little action, but the film never drags due to the fine performances, excellent story line, and tight direction. When violence does occur it is often swift, brutal, and without fanfare. In other words, it mimics violence in real life. The look of Three Kings is sometimes surreal with unique camera angles, slow motion shots, over-exposed and grainy film stock, and loud rock music. I especially enjoyed this juxtaposition of popular music from artists such as the Beach Boys and Chicago with the incongruous images of war-torn Iraq.

In Three Kings, a map pinpointing the secret location of gold bullion stolen from the Kuwaitis is discovered in an orifice of an Iraqi soldier. Several soldiers led by Clooney, who plays a special forces officer, decide to steal the gold for themselves, but instead they wind up aiding Iraqi rebels who are being persecuted by Saddam Hussein’s forces. In addition to Clooney, Wahlberg, and Ice Cube, the group includes a dim-witted private played by Spike Jonze whom you might recognize as the Oscar-nominated director of Being John Malkovich. Although Clooney, Wahlberg, and Cube are all excellent in their roles, it is Jonze who steals many scenes as the uneducated and out of place Private Vig. Also look for Nora Dunn, formerly of Saturday Night Live, and Walter Wogaman in some very quirky roles.

The Three Kings DVD is jammed packed with extras. There are five short documentaries, deleted scenes, production notes, two separate audio commentary tracks, still photography, and a theatrical trailer in addition to some DVD-ROM content. The five documentaries consist of a behind-the-scenes look at the film, David O. Russell’s video journal, an interview with the director of photography, a tour of the village set with the production designer, and something that is titled "An Intimate Look Inside the Acting Process With Ice Cube." Spike Jonze produced this piece with Ice Cube that seems to be more of a set up than a serious look at acting. In that respect, it is similar to some of the extras that Jonze produced for his Being John Malkovich DVD. Both audio commentary tracks and Russell’s video journal are especially interesting and provide insight into the creative process that went into the making of this film.

Three Kings was shot on three different stocks of film for artistic reasons as described in the interview with director of photography, Newton Thomas Sigel. The results of this are various degrees of over saturated colors, graininess, and excessive contrast that destroy shadow detail. However, scenes that appear to utilize standard film stock display good color fidelity and very sharp images. Although the soundtrack is neither exceptionally aggressive nor enveloping, it is suitably raucous and spatially detailed when required. It also has a good stereo music track that features several catchy pop tunes and even some Bach.

You might easily dismiss Three Kings as a lightweight film when you pass by it at your local video store, but this is one film not to be missed. It is an offbeat action comedy that treats the serious subject of war with both humor and intelligence. 

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