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Three Kings

Play trailer Poster for Three Kings R 1999 1h 55m War Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 131 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 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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Three Kings

Three Kings

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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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Critics Reviews

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Kirk Honeycutt The Hollywood Reporter Oct 25, 2019
[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. Go to Full Review Radheyan Simonpillai AskMen.com Apr 9, 2009
94/100
It's amazing how much action can be crammed into a movie about a war where most soldiers didn't actually see any action. Go to Full Review Lisa Alspector Chicago Reader Aug 25, 2008
A damning yet idealistic satire about the motives behind U.S. foreign policy. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Dec 13, 2023
7/10
A war satire in which O' Russell, indirectly, mocks the foreign policy of the United States regarding the Gulf War. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Chuck Klosterman Akron Beacon Journal Oct 27, 2023
3/4
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. Go to Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Sep 2, 2022
B-
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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J L @DonCoreLeon Sep 27, 2026 Has aged remarkably well. An underrated gem. See more shane O @Shanes_DVD_Shack Jul 1, 2026 Interesting movie . I did enjoy it but I wasn’t 100% sure what to make of it . I think I’ll watch it again. It was sort of a comedy but with some serious scenes and messages too . See more Gi S @Gistevenn Apr 1, 2026 Any movie with clooney & wahlberg in it is generally gonna be a good movie. See more Damon G @Dmoney420 Feb 22, 2026 Another classic war movie 10 out of 10 See more Mark C. @mrpiggy1992 Jan 16, 2026 Best film of 1999 especially the cast Wahlberg, George Clooney and Ice Cube See more Jed I @RT01296269 Sep 27, 2025 5.7/10 — "Mediocre"/"Passable" See more Read all reviews
Three Kings

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Cast & Crew

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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

Adriana Cruz

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Three Kings

Three Kings (1999) View more photos

Movie Info

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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