Three Kings

You can feel the plot kicking in when there is a discovery of a map, from, of all places, the buttocks of an Iraqi, neatly wrapped up and sticking out of his rear. It is quickly devised that this is a valuable map -- actually, it pinpoints the locations of millions of dollars worth of gold and valuables that belong to Saddam. Four characters think dollar signs and hatch a plan under the instruction of Archie Gates (Clooney) and, only inspired by their greed, they move into a small Iraqi town. Soon they notice the distinct differences between the oppressed and desperate Iraqi civilians and the Iraqi military, and it is only a matter of time before one of them reacts. The innocent civilians are momentarily saved; the cease-fire is broken, and these US troops are left with a truckload of gold and some very angry Iraqi enemies.

Three Kings has an absorbing visual energy; Russel finds new ways to shoot key scenes, with various innovations including a couple of shots that zoom into a human body to examine the effects of a bullet wound close-up, and some terrifically effective gun-fights. Russel endeavors to keep the film feeling exciting, and he succeeds in crafting a war film that feels much more modern and fresh than the likes of 'Saving Private Ran' and 'The Thin Red Line,' strengthened by the immediate change of landscape from the sometimes exotic World War II settings to the baron plains of Iraq.

'Three Kings' is a very fine film, an excellent and original piece with some great moments of comedy. Towards its end, Russel slightly lets slip his wit to the emotional side of the story involving a group of Iraqi civilians struggling to get across the border to safety, but most of the time its humorous moments blend in very well with its action and drama. It's a lively film -- a different kind of war film -- a mixture of contrasting techniques and narratives.

On the Buckmaster scale of 0 stars (bomb), to 5 stars (a masterpiece): 4 stars

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