Tres reyes

Originally shot action scenes, an interesting story, great cast lead by Mark Wahlberg, whose performance, especially in the second half is Oscar worthy, all that make Three Kings a must-see film. (02.06.2002)

I've never really given this film a chance in the past, so I'm glad I came across it now. It definitely has something to it that will just entertain you. It's its complexity, its power both in humor and in being a war film. But David. Above all, O. Russell shows the strength of his characters, who are simply well-written. (20.11.2015)

Interesting film. I liked the acting and the humour, what I didn’t like is the rather poor technical aspect, where even in terms of visuals there is not much to look at – dust and sand everywhere – and it seemed to me at times like a film from a cheaper side of things. Fortunately I had an above-average time, so I'll throw in four stars, but just barely. 70% (23.06.2015)

David O. Russell is a director with a style of his own and Three Kings is by far the most stylish of all his films. Formally very interesting and provocative in content, but quite true filmmaking that elevates American jingoism to the level of pop culture self-ironic entertainment. Russell has a very good handle on both the direction and the script, which may look like a feeble-minded orgasm over the American flag and freedom, but the biting irony works ingeniously, and in the final analysis I can't think of a better way to fit the words "God bless America" and "Americans are selfish, power-hungry bastards" into a single sentence. In addition to the premise, we can also praise the cinematography, the excellent cast and the great sound, which at times gave me goosebumps (where are the seventies..). The final impression is marred only by a few minor flaws in the script, which make it quite difficult for the film to fully break its serious face through the mask of a smug, indifferent moron. But still, God bless Hollywood :) 80% (11.08.2014)

The formal aspects, relying on the now standard games with camera filters and editing, are very impressive, but the main trump card of Russell's film is the script. The initial comedic overtones (the cow on the mine) turn into a direct indictment of the whole Desert Storm operation. Moreover, it is told from the perspective of ordinary soldiers who actually confronted the civilian Iraqi population. Russell avoids unnecessary moralizing and inserts plenty of truths into the dialogue, both from the Iraqis themselves, who are demanding clarification of the American invasion, and from the American soldiers, whose every other word is a learned phrase of army propaganda in the background. Yet the film strictly moves away from the patriotic outcome, but at the same time does not put the Arab world in the position of a helpless pauper. This precisely-dosed mixture is then embellished with several exemplary action scenes that prove that Russell is a very skilled craftsman who simply knows what he is doing, and thanks to the perfect compactness of the film, it can be watched several times. (15.06.2006)