Three Kings (1999)

In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, four soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who desperately need their help.

Director:

David O. Russell

Writers:

John Ridley (story), David O. Russell (screenplay)

Stars:

George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube

8 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
George Clooney	...	Archie Gates
Mark Wahlberg	...	Troy Barlow
Ice Cube	...	Chief Elgin
Spike Jonze	...	Conrad Vig
Cliff Curtis	...	Amir Abdulah
Nora Dunn	...	Adriana Cruz
Jamie Kennedy	...	Walter Wogaman
Saïd Taghmaoui	...	Captain Said (as Said Taghmaoui)
Mykelti Williamson	...	Colonel Horn
Holt McCallany	...	Captain Van Meter
Judy Greer	...	Cathy Daitch
Christopher Lohr	...	Teebaux
Jon Sklaroff	...	Paco
Liz Stauber	...	Debbie Barlow, Troy's Wife
Marsha Horan	...	Amir's Wife

Storyline

A small group of adventurous American soldiers in Iraq at the end of the Gulf War are 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, they embark on a journey that leads to unexpected discoveries, enabling them to rise to a heroic challenge that drastically changes their lives.

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Plot Keywords:

original story | heist | sex on a chair | woman on top | cell phone trace | 

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Taglines:

They're deserters, rebels and thieves. But in the nicest possible way.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic war violence, language and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the scene where the three soldiers enter the secret room in the bunker with the stolen stuff and television sets, you can see Captain Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) watching the Rodney King beating video, which would've taken place a few weeks before the period of time in which the film is set, and perhaps intentionally or unintentionally highlights the underlying racial tensions between Vig and Elgin in the first half of the film.

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Goofs

When the milk truck is entering the village and the Iraqi Soldiers blow a hole in the trailer, the first trailer tire "turns" to steer the trailer towards the wall.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Troy Barlow: Are we shooting?
Soldier: What?
Troy Barlow: Are we shootin' people or what?
Soldier: Are we shooting?
Troy Barlow: That's what I'm asking you!
Soldier: What's the answer?
Troy Barlow: I don't know the answer! That's what I'm trying to find out!

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Alternate Versions

The Australian theatrical release omits a brief close up of a woman being shot in the head by one of Saddam's soldiers. This was done to avoid an R rating. This scene cut from the Australian release in order to obtain an MA rating for theatrical release were restored for the VHS and DVD releases, thus restoring the original R rating.

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Connections

Referenced in WatchMojo: Top 10 Actors and Directors Who Hated Each Other (2016)

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Soundtracks

God Bless the U.S.A.
Written by Lee Greenwood
Produced and Arranged by Richard Wolf (as Richard Lawrence Wolf)

User Reviews

Fine movie set in the aftermath of the 1991 "Gulf War".

I remember the 1991 Gulf War well, and in fact visited the area in late 1991. After looking at the "extras" on the DVD version of Three Kings, you realize how accurate the movie is, having used USA veterans as consultants, and some of the extras were actually Guld War refugees. I rate it "8" of "10".

The movie is action-packed and well-acted. The only thing that threw me off a bit was the sometimes strange mixture of humor and tragedy - people graphically getting killed in one scene, and characters being in humorous situations the next. Still, it is an entertaining movie overall, and gives a great glimpse of what the Gulf War was all about.

Details

Official Sites:

WarnerBros.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English Arabic

Release Date:

1 October 1999 (USA)

Also Known As:

Spoils of War

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$75,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$15,847,636, 3 October 1999

Gross USA:

$60,652,036

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$107,752,036

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Village-A.M. Partnership

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1