Three Kings

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Three Kings

R

Released Oct 1, 1999

1h 55m

War

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

132 Reviews

77%

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100,000+ Ratings

Just after the end of the Gulf War, four American soldiers decide to steal a cache of Saddam Hussein's hidden gold. Led by Sergeant Major Archie Gates, three of the men are rescued by rebels, but Sergeant Troy Barlow is captured and tortured by Iraqi intelligence. The Iraqi rebels beg for the American trio to help fight against the impending arrival of Hussein's Elite Guard. The men agree to fight in return for help rescuing Troy.

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Critics Consensus

Three Kings successfully blends elements of action, drama, and comedy into a thoughtful, exciting movie on the Gulf War.

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Kirk Honeycutt

The Hollywood Reporter

[Russell] not only has designed an action-adventure laced with incendiary humor but a movie that wants to explore race, politics, war, the media and U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East. In large measure, he pulls it off with breathtaking aplomb.

Oct 25, 2019

Full Review

Radheyan Simonpillai

AskMen.com

It's amazing how much action can be crammed into a movie about a war where most soldiers didn't actually see any action.

Rated: 94/100

Apr 9, 2009

Full Review

Lisa Alspector

Chicago Reader

A damning yet idealistic satire about the motives behind U.S. foreign policy.

Aug 25, 2008

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

A war satire in which O' Russell, indirectly, mocks the foreign policy of the United States regarding the Gulf War. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Dec 13, 2023

Full Review

Chuck Klosterman

Akron Beacon Journal

Three Kings does offer nice comedic interplay between its lead performers and a compelling visual gimmick, all of which adds up to a strong (if not necessarily soul-shaking) production.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 27, 2023

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

It has a distinctive look and feel, an atmosphere of burnout and chaos; it launches at a high energy level and generally stays there. The buzz, however, wears off fast.

Rated: B-

Sep 2, 2022

Full Review

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Orion P

5 stars would have been on the table if it weren't for the football/helicopter scene. GREAT MOVIE, otherwise.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

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Faiz D

A disturbing yet funny war movie with a great message.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

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Audience Member

The death scene of mother was too much for this movie. Also, a few unbelievable scenes. Other than that worth a watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/25

Full Review

Audience Member

I feel for the hype just as many did seeing the stars of the POS film. Not funny. Not accurate. Not worth writing a review over.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/06/24

Full Review

thiago s

filme legal pra caramba, roteiro bacana, achei legal também o trio, mas parece que ação do filme não era tão forte que nem outros filmes de guerra, mas de resto achei bacana.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/28/24

Full Review

Don T

Excellent Film with good acting, cinematography, and a great statement about the war complex.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/10/24

Full Review

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David O. Russell

Director

George Clooney

Maj. Archie Gates

Mark Wahlberg

Sfc. Troy Barlow

Ice Cube

SSgt. Chief Elgin

Spike Jonze

Pfc. Conrad Vig

Nora Dunn

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Synopsis

Just after the end of the Gulf War, four American soldiers decide to steal a cache of Saddam Hussein's hidden gold. Led by Sergeant Major Archie Gates, three of the men are rescued by rebels, but Sergeant Troy Barlow is captured and tortured by Iraqi intelligence. The Iraqi rebels beg for the American trio to help fight against the impending arrival of Hussein's Elite Guard. The men agree to fight in return for help rescuing Troy.

Director: David O. Russell
Producer: Charles Roven, Edward L. McDonnell, Paul Junger Witt
Screenwriter: David O. Russell, John Ridley
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Atlas Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: War, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $60.7M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Surround

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