Movie: Three Kings Type: Adventure Original Release Date: 1999 Rating: Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube Directed by: David O. Russell

Synopsis:
This movie tells the story of four soldiers in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm who set out to steal as much of the gold bullion Sadam Hussein has already pilfered from Kuwait as they possibly can. George Clooney leads this unlikely foursome. He is a battle-weary Special Forces officer looking forward to retirement. His cohorts are young and vastly inexperienced in what will be required of them on this caper which starts out looking like a sure way to get rich without expending much effort. The scheme quickly goes awry when the quartet encounter insurgents who are holding innocent villagers hostage as human shields to protect Sadam's gold.

The joyride turns into a challenge to save the lives of a couple dozen peasants whose only hope for permanent safety is to cross the Iraqi border into Iran, a journey, finally, of a few hundred yards after multiple hair-raising chases and fierce encounters with loyalists who want only to massacre them and maintain Sadam Hussein as the country's leader.

Arriving at the Iraq/Iran border, the American GIs must choose between liberating the refugees which will require their going against the protocols of the war, or making off with the gold.

The film does not romanticize warfare and contains one scene of torture and many scenes of violence resulting in personal injury or death. It contains numerous absurdities about the practice of war and is a fascinating film to watch, particularly in light of America's current predicament in Iraq. It was produced in the early 1990s but yields food for thought today.

I would recommend this movie!

Why?
The writing, acting and directing are all superb. If you are looking for a thoughtful action film, Three Kings will not disappoint you.

Employee Initials: CL Review Date: July 2004

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