Every once in a while an action movie comes along that expertly mixes comedy and drama into its plot. The new David Russell movie, "Three Kings," does just that. It is set in Iraq shortly after the end of the Gulf War.
The story begins when Sgt. Troy Barlow (Mark Whalberg) finds a map hidden in the posterior of an Iraqi soldier during a search. Barlow then figures out, with the help of friends Pvt. Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze) and Sgt. Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) that his map leads to secret bunkers where Saddam Hussein is keeping gold bullion he stole from Kuwait.
At this point Capt. Archie Gates (George Clooney) arrives as the fourth man in the operation. The four men drive off to a remote Iraqi town and burst into the bunker to steal Hussein's gold. Just after the heist is when the real plot of this movie, as well as justified criticism of President Bush's foreign policy, begins.
Clooney does a magnificent job in this film-his best job on the big screen since "Out of Sight" with Jennifer Lopez. His character is very much along the same lines as the one he portrayed in that movie-a thief who tiptoes the line between being a good guy and a bad guy. Clooney uses his role as a jaded military man who's seen it all very well by showing little or no emotion in his voice, but only with his actions. The other three in this group also do great jobs in their roles.
Ice Cube continues to prove he deserves big roles with a great performance in this movie. His character is really the conscience and common sense of the group, and tries diligently to keep them together. Whalberg also merits his inclusion in big roles, like the one in "Boogie Nights." Whalberg's character is emotional; he has a newborn back home, and seems to do everything based on emotion which gets him into some pretty sticky predicaments.
Jonze, who is fairly new to acting (he directed "Being John Malkovich" and several music videos) puts in a great performance as the loose cannon of the group; he is a little low in the intelligence area. Also worth mentioning is the performance of Nora Dunn, who plays a TV reporter who refuses to settle for anything less than what she wants.
The comedy of this movie is great because of placement and timing. There is one running gag in the film between Barlow and Elgin on which of two car companies makes a convertible. For the most part, though, the comedy is made up of quick one-liners that are used to lighten the mood when the situation has gotten too tense.
The drama that develops in this plot is also very real. It has to do with Iraqi citizens and the constant fear they live in of their own army and their leader Hussein.
One of the most stunning things in this movie is the camera work. There are so many original cutaway shots and action scenes, it's hard to count them all. A few have to do with the damage a single bullet can do to a human being.
The camera actually goes inside the body and shows you what happens. Another great shot is a shootout between the small group of Americans and a small group of Iraqi soldiers. The camera shows a domino effect as it follows the bullet from the gun to the target. These are both daring and innovative uses in film.
"Three Kings" is a great movie that will keep the attention of all kinds of movie goers, not just action film fans. It is worth a few bucks to see.