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Three Kings (1999)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
8/23
8/23:
I don't see Three Kings as a black comedy but an action-adventure story in the spirit of
The Man Who Would Be King and
Walker.
The themes are similar: men travel to a foreign country to make their fortune. That's the plot of
Three Kings: get in, get the gold, and get out while the rest is noise. Of course, the plan doesn't work
out as expected.
Not having seen the film before, I knew of its reputation, but I was caught off guard by everything: the editing,
the cinematography, and the brazen display of ignorance. However, it's a well-made and well-written movie that's
fast and furious but slows down in the final forty-five minutes. There were a lot of problems on the set as the
director was being difficult with everybody including George Clooney.
The acting is very good, but I don't like the lead characters. They're nothing but common thieves. Hence, there's
no rooting interest in them. I was hoping that Mark Wahlberg's character would die, but he didn't. His role seemed
perfect for Matt Damon, but he actually turned it down. I think it's because he had gotten out of
Saving Private Ryan. To Mark Wahlberg's credit, he allowed himself to
be shocked for real. By the way, why is the title called Three Kings when four soldiers
were involved in the scheme? They say it's because three survived at the end. I guess.
All in all, Three Kings is a shocking tale of attempted thievery against the backdrop of the Persian
Gulf War.