Three Kings
1999
Comedy
Drama
1h 54m
A small group of adventurous American soldiers (Clooney, Whalberg, Ice Cube, Jonze) in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War is determined to steal a huge cache of gold reputed to be hidden somewhere near their desert base. Finding a map they believe will take them to the gold, the soldiers embark on a journey that leads to unexpected discoveries, enabling them to rise to a heroic challenge that drastically changes their lives. (Warner Brothers)
Directed by:
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Three Kings
1999
Comedy
Drama
1h 54m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 51.98% from 6868 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews
(6868)
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Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
73rd
I avoided it for the longest time, expecting it to be a dumb big-budget summer action flick. And in some ways, that's exactly what it is. But it's also a biting satire, a suspenseful heist film, a wacky comedy, a political drama, a human drama, and a strong anti-war statement. And it manages to be all these things with finesse and a great deal of style. My only big gripe with this movie is the acting, where only George Clooney seems to rise above adequate.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
9
98th
Crazy asshole or not, David O. Russell made one of the best war movies of all time, a riveting work that starts out as a darkly hilarious comic adventure and spirals into more somber and fascinating territory by the minute. The cinematography and performances are perfect, and you come out the other end shaken and wondering what the fuck you just watched in a great way.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 04 Jan 2021
100
97th
This is one of my Top 3 movies of all time and a paragon of what filmmaking can be. It turns a film projector or media player into a machine for empathy by allowing you to witness the struggles of truly defined characters--especially via the obstacles they face because of race, religion, gender or politics. But it is also exceptionally well made, as Russell's script brims with hilarious jokes, great suspense, and some of the best action set pieces I've ever seen. An overlooked & underrated gem.
Rated 04 Jan 2021
Rated 21 Nov 2009
8
78th
(2nd viewing) Socially conscious (though a bit in-your-face), idiosyncratic and ridiculously entertaining. Plus 1 for FarCryss: watching this today adds to the experience indeed. Nice, very nice...
Rated 21 Nov 2009
Rated 14 Aug 2007
35
19th
What begins as a KELLY'S HEROES-type cynical adventure becomes a very laboured and obvious attempt to teach the viewer a lesson about the nastiness of war and the fact that all men are brothers.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 02 Apr 2015
35
14th
David O. Russell is one of the few bad filmmakers to convince audiences that he isn't terrible
Rated 02 Apr 2015
Rated 14 Aug 2007
84
81st
If you give in to Russell's complete abandonment of any kind of pacing structure the end result is fantastic. Had this been released one administration later, it would have cemented "classic" status.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 06 Jun 2008
9
93rd
I wasn't expecting too much but man this is one amazing movie. It blends comedy action and drama almost perfectly and the performances (minus Ice Cube) are really good, especially Wahlberg and Jonze. This is a pretty rare action movie - it has all the explosions and what not but it's also packed full of witty dialog and heart. Worth seeing.
Rated 06 Jun 2008
Rated 22 Sep 2010
70
79th
Likeable characters save the sometimes sloppy and heavy handed script.
Rated 22 Sep 2010
Rated 01 Sep 2015
100
91st
Determined to take home more than sand fleas in the aftermath of the first Gulf War, four American soldiers go off into the Iraqi desert to find millions in stolen Kuwaiti bullion.
Rated 01 Sep 2015
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
83rd
Best anti-war movie ever.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
90th
While David O. Russell is an asshole he can make a really good movie. Some fantastic shots and excellent acting from everyone, honestly this is the first time I considered Wahlberg a good dramatic actor.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 03 Feb 2012
84
89th
I was pleasantly surprised by this atypical war/action/comedy. Instead of coasting over the messy bits, it embraces the political and social implications of foreign policy. And despite how dark it gets, there's still that glimmer of hope, that good people are still out there.
Rated 03 Feb 2012
Rated 25 Oct 2010
80
78th
One of those weird movies where I go in not expecting much and am pleasantly surprised. Does a good job combining humor and action to create a decent satire on military/war. Jonze, Clooney, Wahlberg and Cube all do a great job. In fact, I think most of the cast did a great except I didn't really like Jamie Kennedy's character. It does go Hollywood with the ending, but I didn't mind it too much. Definitely a war movie worth seeing.
Rated 25 Oct 2010
Rated 07 Sep 2021
83
79th
This was my first theatrical rated R movie, my youth pastor snuck me into this one, for some goddamn reason. I doubt I’d be the same person or moviegoer without it. My preoccupation with oblique religious references and zeitgeist soul crushing in movies probably begins and ends with these Three Kings from the global non-flat-Earth East. 20-some years later a family member who did a tour in Afghanistan, mentioned this movie, and its layers hit even harder than I’d remembered.
Rated 07 Sep 2021
Rated 07 Apr 2012
73
74th
Mark Wahlberg walks the absolute thinnest line between decent actor and terrible terrible actor.
Rated 07 Apr 2012
Rated 08 Oct 2010
80
81st
I think this flick is pretty underrated for how stylized it's look is. A lot of work was put into the production of this movie even if Ice Cube is on screen a lot.
Rated 08 Oct 2010
Rated 18 Apr 2012
93
94th
Somewhere between 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'The Hurt Locker' on the spectrum of U.S. political war films lies this bizarre jewel. It's a darkly comic treasure-hunting adventure injected with a sobering dose of war-time realism. It's an allegory for the past 30 years of American involvement in the Middle East, but also a study of moral judgment and global camaraderie. Unique visual effects and a war-reporter filming style have proved influential and, amazingly, the story is just as relevant today.
Rated 18 Apr 2012
Rated 14 Aug 2007
92
95th
A veteran actor leads two formers rappers, and a music video/movie director through a great (and hilarious) war movie that's a breath of fresh air into the bland war genre, and better than it has any right being.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 17 Oct 2007
77
73rd
This is strange. This film is cleverder than it seems. It looks like blockbuster and it almost sells himself like one, but surprisingly enough it's a satire on the hypocrisy of war. And on top of that, it blends genres as drama, action and comedy without turning into one big chaos. Only the ending is inline with the blockbuster-mentality. (By the by, watch it again with the war in iraq in mind. Makes it even more fun)
Rated 17 Oct 2007
Rated 02 Feb 2010
85
69th
A rare war comedy, and a pretty great one at that. A good combination of style and substance. Spike Jonze!
Rated 02 Feb 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
74th
Good performances by the leads, unique filmmaking from Russell, and lots of boldness hold all this chaos together for a satisfying action flick. Audacious, over the top, and an odyssey worth taking.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 12 May 2015
85
81st
Although its own title is a spoiler, this a very well written, directed, acted, and edited war film, a nicely sardonic take on the Gulf War, but feels more like a Western morality tale than anything else. O. Russell seems to be rather good at letting scenes feel improvisational, loose, and lively, which helps infuse a tad amount of oddity in this sorta mind-fuck of a film (and the mind-fuck the soldiers are in).
Rated 12 May 2015
Rated 07 Jun 2012
85
59th
This is one very 90's movie, but also one that would prove to be pretty influential in the coming years.
Rated 07 Jun 2012
Rated 14 Aug 2007
73
44th
Perhaps I am the only man in the world to think this, but I consider Three Kings to be disappointingly boring. There is action and fast talking, but there is also a lot of nothing happening, and the plot seems to move surprisingly slow for a film that's billed as an action/war title, and because it's not a dramatic film by most means, the bad pace really hurts it, because nothing important is happening in the down time. Meh!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 26 Oct 2013
73
78th
One of those movies where Clooney has THE plan.
Rated 26 Oct 2013
Rated 21 Aug 2009
90
93rd
Three Kings is a great film which seamlessly blends dry, witty humor with a hard hitting political message. Clooney is great, the characters are well written and even better performed, the plot is funny, but most importantly the whole thing comes together well, and this film is entertaining all the way through. See it.
Rated 21 Aug 2009
Rated 26 Aug 2010
65
69th
Great charismatic acting, especially Jonze/Wahlberg, and excepting Clooney who offers up his usual head waggling psuedo snarky hound dog bit. (Nic Cage in Clooney's place could've potentially raised this score 20 pts.) Really cool photography with flashy yet appropriate editing. Worth the ride.
Rated 26 Aug 2010
Rated 18 May 2008
83
83rd
A phenomenal sucess in every aspect, I even dug Ice Cube. The major thing here is the awesome script it's just a damned well written movie.
Rated 18 May 2008
Rated 20 Mar 2007
86
89th
A truly original war drama with plenty of emotional value and humor.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
Rated 13 Jul 2012
97
97th
A darkly satirical film about war with one of the meanest and funniest senses of humor I've seen in a film. Biting, angry and also farcical. The editing and cinematography give the film a twisted, unique edge on an over saturated genre of film. The film's tone stays consistent and dips into darker territory in a sensible, natural way over the course of the film. It's arguably too preachy but I feel the film is lacking in subtlety from the start - either it'll gels with the viewer or it won't.
Rated 13 Jul 2012
Rated 05 Sep 2016
3
36th
opening with the line "are we shooting?", a film that may best be defended as a sly argument for cinema as a weapon against chaos and amorality, with a camera proving crucial to the protagonists' ultimate redemptive act. in other words, russell's a tidy crowdpleaser, but at least he's a self-aware and authentically idealistic one, i guess? i can't say i buy into his fantasies though, and i'd much rather he committed to the anarchy as that's ironically where he maintains the most control.
Rated 05 Sep 2016
Rated 30 Aug 2010
94
77th
"Here's your stability, buddy"
Rated 30 Aug 2010
Rated 29 Mar 2012
69
58th
It blends genres and tones really well, something that would prove to be Russell's biggest strength as a director. The underlying politics of it have gotten much more complicated in the years since it was released, but it is still interesting to see from the perspective of its time.
Rated 29 Mar 2012
Rated 19 Sep 2008
84
83rd
Clooney is excellent, as is Russell's directorial style, which manages to capture the harsh intensity of war while balancing a light and comedic atmosphere. The cinematography is quite nice, and Wahlberg is very good too -- the scenes of his torture are the movie's most captivating, and hold its most explosive dialogs. Ice Cube drags things down a bit, and the ending feels a bit pedestrian, but all in all this is an original take on the war genre. A fun movie with a good heart.
Rated 19 Sep 2008
Rated 18 Feb 2014
75
83rd
Back when Russell wasn't mailing in his movies, Three Kings showed the director's definitive style and brashness. The cast is great, the material is both poignant and funny, and walks genre lines flawlessly.
Rated 18 Feb 2014
Rated 24 Jan 2010
65
42nd
Good action film with some decent acting but this really hasn't aged well when you take into consideration world events of the past 10 years. In fact the message of the film can be interpreted as being outright patronizing and a superficial portrayal of a lot of issues.
Rated 24 Jan 2010
Rated 28 Aug 2016
65
62nd
This is fun movie with a different interesting approach to war, is well balanced. With this movie you can have fun and learn at the same time! The acting is uneven but that is forgivable.
Rated 28 Aug 2016
Rated 23 Mar 2007
80
61st
This film is surprisingly intelligent. It manages to get across all the bullshit of war without being condescending to anyone -- neither the Americans, the Iraqis, nor the audience. That the film is also very stylish, entertaining and funny is a great bonus. On the downside, there's some sub-par acting, and the climactic sequence has a slightly contrived feel to it.
Rated 23 Mar 2007
Rated 27 Apr 2014
77
63rd
This movie has some very funny moments and also some really serious scenes. The cast has good chemistry together. The script has plenty of good moments and a few typical ones. Overall I would recommend this film.
Rated 27 Apr 2014
Rated 11 Jun 2012
90
92nd
Though there are a few moments that feel a tad too agenda-driven, it redeems itself with witty dialogue and solid performances. The ending seems somewhat Hollywood, but not in a bad way, mind you.
Rated 11 Jun 2012
Rated 10 Oct 2012
83
61st
THREE KINGS begins as satire, has touches of farce, then becomes a heist film briefly before turning into an emotionally charged rescue-mission piece. With all those tonal shifts, that it isn't a mess is a bit of a miracle; that it is, in fact, quite good is all of one. David O. Russell's script and direction are alike sharp; Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube are both good, although Clooney seems a bit flat (perhaps owing to his stormy relationship with Russell). A complex film I'll want to return to.
Rated 10 Oct 2012
Rated 08 Jun 2007
85
73rd
I appreciated all the action and social commentary bits, plus I just love heist movies. Shot very well, too.
Rated 08 Jun 2007
Rated 24 Dec 2010
16
75th
My favorite middle east/Iraq war film yet!
Rated 24 Dec 2010
Rated 17 Apr 2010
88
87th
Cool, topical and funny. watch this movie................ WATCH IT!
Rated 17 Apr 2010
Rated 05 Aug 2010
92
71st
a great war movie before war movies were completely wide spread
Rated 05 Aug 2010
Rated 04 Jul 2009
81
73rd
Except for the tacked on ending, it takes a tired situation and develops its differently than expected.
Rated 04 Jul 2009
Rated 18 Aug 2007
20
2nd
could have been good, but done in a typical hollywood/americano-centric way, has the subtlety of a truck full of bricks smashing into a concrete wall. cringe.
Rated 18 Aug 2007
Rated 05 Dec 2011
80
89th
Three Kings does a good job of mixing humor with drama and action. It's a trifecta, just like its title suggests, and while there are four lead characters, maybe the title was referring to these elements that make up the film. Regardless, it does all of them well and is most definitely worth the time it takes to watch it. However, I was disappointed with the fact that I never got an answer to the question "What's the deal with Michael Jackson?" I guess it doesn't matter now.
Rated 05 Dec 2011
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
77th
What a wild ride! Never a dull moment! And some cool visuals following bullets into the body...
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 15 Aug 2021
65
41st
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Rated 15 Aug 2021
Rated 21 Nov 2016
80
47th
War action movie with a different edge. Shows a side to the war that differs from the standard heroism and has some reasonable commentary to make about the whole situation. Some genuinely touching religious scenes add currency, but one still is left with the impression that all this still manages to serve the ultimate heroism of Uncle Sam in what was actually a dirty great desert swamp of an operation.
Rated 21 Nov 2016
Rated 06 Feb 2019
80
0th
Intelligent and perceptive. An original war feature on U.S foreign policy.
Rated 06 Feb 2019
Rated 23 Feb 2018
60
47th
Chaotic and crazy war film with very dark humor. More than a poor man's Full Metal Jacket, but the ending was too implausible for me.
Rated 23 Feb 2018
Rated 18 Jan 2007
60
60th
u re bot savin anyone man just leave that people alone
Rated 18 Jan 2007
Rated 20 Dec 2013
94
85th
Three Kings successfully blends elements of action, drama, and comedy into a thoughtful, exciting movie on the Gulf War.
Rated 20 Dec 2013
Rated 05 Feb 2021
30
7th
Cool camerawork, bland storytelling, and a relatively sound politics make a curiously boring movie. The script feels as if it was reworked so many times there isn't anything that stands out anymore, there is no interesting arc and no character - I mean it's fun to watch dumbness of spike jonze's character but the pull is jonze there.
Rated 05 Feb 2021
Rated 26 Nov 2008
80
33rd
Durchwachsene Schatzjagd währen des Golf Kriegs. Clooney wirkt hier leider völlig hölzern. Wahlberg ist aber klasse wie eh und jeh!
Rated 26 Nov 2008
Rated 07 Aug 2011
70
37th
Not too shabby. A nice action/war movie set in Iraq, before movies set in Iraq were cool.
Rated 07 Aug 2011
Rated 08 Jun 2016
70
39th
Great as a comedy, much worse as a drama
Rated 08 Jun 2016
Rated 15 Oct 2008
85
64th
for me, a prettu under rated movie. I loved it specially the sarcastic view of war
Rated 15 Oct 2008
Rated 31 Aug 2007
95
84th
An excellent depiction of war and the effects on the human psyche. funny, and touching.
Rated 31 Aug 2007
Rated 11 Feb 2014
74
39th
Entertaining flick. Definitely something to turn on when you just want to have a few beers and forget about the days events.
Rated 11 Feb 2014
Rated 03 Aug 2007
82
61st
Great performances and direction in a story that's more timely than ever.
Rated 03 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
49th
Politically unusual. Great action scenes. Reminds me of manly desert action movies of yore
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 02 Jun 2008
18
8th
Can't bring myself to finish such a silly movie.
Rated 02 Jun 2008
Rated 02 Oct 2010
60
20th
Not as good as I remember. Has some good sequences but never transcends its limitations. George Clooney is miscast and barely present (though understandably so), the comedy is very '90s and very lame for the most part, and there's a constant sense of implausibility to the whole thing that I could never quite shake. And don't get me started on the denouement/ending. Honestly, Spike Jonze might be the best thing about it.
Rated 02 Oct 2010
Rated 18 Mar 2007
75
50th
I really enjoyed this, pretty much anything with George Clooney is like woah.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
Rated 02 Mar 2007
70
24th
A strangely comedic look at desert storm as three soldiers attemot to steal gold. Many elements of this film made for a surprsingly entertaining and refreshing flick of a dry comedy about war.
Rated 02 Mar 2007
Rated 19 Aug 2007
86
57th
Good action flick. Didn't get too heavy on the politics either.
Rated 19 Aug 2007
Rated 18 Dec 2009
64
52nd
Enjoyable with some entertaining humor and decent acting. Not something I'll remember for long though.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
Rated 13 Sep 2010
54
71st
#00s(e)#, reviews, story.
Rated 13 Sep 2010
Rated 23 Jun 2007
84
62nd
Despite some tricky issues of hegemony, this is solid war film, made even more appealing with its three leads.
Rated 23 Jun 2007
Rated 20 Mar 2007
60
27th
This is actually a pretty entertaining movie, it's just nothing special in any way. Plus it has Ice Cube, yea yea!
Rated 20 Mar 2007
Rated 18 Sep 2008
71
36th
If you want to see some action at war , Three kings is not that. It's a movie that said about 3 soldiers to rescue and free people with gold-relation.
Rated 18 Sep 2008
Rated 18 Dec 2009
85
66th
A smart, hip effective thriller.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
Rated 11 Apr 2019
92
76th
A-
Rated 11 Apr 2019
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
32nd
Humor, style and action - what more can you want.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 17 Oct 2007
80
30th
Story winds up being a bit too clever for its own good, but definitely a parable for US foreign policy around the turn of the millenium.
Rated 17 Oct 2007
Rated 08 Apr 2010
75
30th
Possibly the only legitimately good movie about the first Gulf War.
Rated 08 Apr 2010
Rated 14 Aug 2007
42
18th
I thought Marky Mark and Ice Cube really dragged this down. The best acting is actually done by the guys who play the Iraqis. Jamie Kennedy is actually good at playing a moron, but then, I don't think that's much of a stretch for him.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 14 Aug 2007
89
51st
good movie & acting. good story, very entertaining
Rated 14 Aug 2007
Rated 19 Aug 2009
70
10th
They got the medical parts pretty much down, except for the collapsed lung thing (close enough for hollywood). But gold bars weigh 80lbs each. No way in hell are they carrying 800 lbs in a nylon bag.
Rated 19 Aug 2009
Rated 29 Aug 2021
60
26th
Mar91warjustended+Slomoshootinglookedbadlol+thinktheymadesurearabssaved+truestoryithinklol
Rated 29 Aug 2021
Rated 29 Dec 2008
75
60th
Neat little underrated movie with some subtlety and interesting shots.
Rated 29 Dec 2008
Rated 15 Jul 2008
88
77th
well-made, action packed, and fun
Rated 15 Jul 2008
Rated 13 Mar 2009
67
61st
A gritty, violent action film with a brain and a point of view.
Rated 13 Mar 2009
Rated 15 Jan 2009
65
18th
it was ok for me
Rated 15 Jan 2009
Rated 10 Oct 2013
99
96th
More than prophetic. It should be mandatory viewing for Americans: you are not the heroes, your entire way of life is a war crime. The Gulf War in all its sound and fury. One of the boldest war films ever made: it fully humanizes the "enemy" and turns the tables around. But it's the little details: the crappy '80s kitsch, the minefields, the rebels, the American flags everywhere, the strange hamlets emerging out of a vast desert.
Rated 10 Oct 2013
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