George Clooney

Written and directed by David O. Russell, the off-kilter mind behind "Flirting with Disaster" and "Spanking the Monkey," "Three Kings" is a smart, entertaining movie that dares to mix Hollywood-style, testosterone-filled action filmmaking with a conscience, an opinion and a brain. Yes, there are moments when the film embodies the very things it is trying to criticize, but the fact remains that it tries hard, and has a damn good time doing so.

"Three Kings" is set in the days following "the end" of the Gulf War—meaning, the days after a cease fire was declared and American troops were ordered out, though Saddam Hussein was still waging a war against his own people and their rebel forces. The film focuses on a group of U.S. soldiers looking to secretly take home a little stolen Kuwaiti gold as payment for services rendered. After finding a coded map while searching an Iraqi prisoner, Sergeants Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), Chief (Ice Cube) and Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze), all rather inexperienced members of the reserve forces, decide to try and find the hidden treasure. Lucky for them, disillusioned Special Forces Major Archie Gates (George Clooney), who has more of an understanding and knowledge of the region, steps up to lead the secret mission. So, while their comrades get wasted and cheer to TV cameras about "kicking Saddam's ass," the rag-tag team makes for the desert in search of what they hope will be a way out of their monotonous stateside lives. Pursuing them is a news reporter (Nora Dunn) looking for her own ticket out: a big story.

But what the men unexpectedly get is insight into what the war really was about, a different perspective on "almighty" America, and a crisis of conscience. Like their fellow soldiers, and many Americans back home, these men (with the exception of Gates) have little understanding about the war, or the culture and politics of the country they are in. They joke about wasting "camel jockeys" and "towel heads," spout rhetoric about "fighting for freedom," and, having seen little real combat action, are ignorant of the consequences of their actions. Back home, they are pencil pushers, menial laborers or, in the case of Vig, uneducated country hicks, and they inherently believe they are superior to the Iraqis they were sent to fight, simply because they are American. What they find, though, is a country infected with the worst of American pop culture and consumerism—the very things they are trying to "defend"—and people who, having been told by George Bush to rise up against Saddam, are left without the support and power of the American army. Soon, the soldiers' quest for gold turns into a violent lesson on responsibility and duty.

Whether you agree with its politics or not, "Kings" works for many reasons. On the most basic level; it's funny and razor-sharp, using humor to balance and enhance the more violent and emotional moments. Then there are the creative visuals, excellent action sequences of real tension and suspense and the thoughtful soundtrack. The performances are great, too; Wahlberg brings a real depth to his character, who has more to lose than his buddies, and video director-turned-actor Jonze is perfect as the annoying, white-trash kid. Because the film is so strong in most respects, the few flaws it has are probably more evident than would be in a weaker film. Most glaringly, it often is guilty of the very American arrogance it cautions against, and toward the end gets too caught up in heart-tugging sentimentality. Nevertheless, "Kings" is an original and clever film. —Sandra Ramani