Review of Three Kings

Introduction

We three kings of Orient are,
One in a taxi, one in a car.

No, this film isn`t an adaption of that often reworded christmas carol. It is in fact the story of a group of US soldiers at the end of the Gulf War, starring George Clooney (yes, that bloke from ER), Mark Wahlberg (yes, the one from New Kids on the Block), and Ice Cube (yes, Ice Cube the rapper).

But don`t let that slightly odd combination put you off. Odder combinations have worked before (the mad Icelander Bjork`s first film is receiving rave reviews at the moment!)

Video

The film starts with a "disclaimer notice":-

"The makers of this film used visual distortion and unusual colours in some scenes of this film. They intentionally used these unconventional techniques to enhance the emotional intensity of the storyline."

This is the modern equivalent to the old BBC broadcaster saying "do not adjust your set". More information about what this disclaimer means is available in the extras, but as a brief summary, they`ve turned up the contrast in places, messed with colours sometimes and used grainy film stock amongst other things. On the whole this is used to good effect. It may look odd at first, and you might be reaching for your TV remote control, but you get used to it, and at times it impresses. So the image looks odd and bizarrely coloured at times. But it is a very good transfer (2.35:1 anamorphic), so don`t be put off by the producers trying to mess with your head.

There are also some interesting special effects going on, with some strange slo-mos and the like.

Audio

A pretty good Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack here. All your speakers get a look in at some stage (e.g. bullets ricocheting around), but perhaps the rears could have been used a little more. I also found the bass to be a bit lacking, and was expecting more in places. Perhaps Terminator 2 UE DTS has raised my expectations higher nowadays.

Features

Ok, sit back and relax. This DVD is stuffed with extras. For once we get just about every single extra from the region 1 version (I think that a couple of TV spots are missing).

You get 2 audio commentaries, one from the director, who is interesting to listen to, and one from the producers, who have a lot to say too. There`s a standard "making of" documentary, which is pretty good as these things go. You then get a tour of the set on which the film was made, led by the designer herself. Lots of interesting snippets there. There`s also a cinematography feature, which explains all about the film stocks used, the extra contrast and the messed up colours etc.

But we don`t stop there. Deleted scenes are here, with original sound or director`s commentary. Interesting to see, but easy to understand why they were left out. There`s also "An Intimate Look Inside The Acting Process With Ice Cube", but I won`t tell you about that one - you can watch for yourself as it`s not very long.

There`s also the director`s "video diary" (not as weird as the BBC2 video diaries though) which tells you the story of the events leading up to the film. An interesting watch. There are a selection of static pictures, cast and crew bios and also the trailer too. There`s also a TV spot available as a hidden feature (the other 2 hidden features give you codes for the film`s web site).

Conclusion

Good marks for the video, the audio and the extras. But what about the film itself? It`s a war story, but it`s a new take on a war story. It`s not totally drama, it`s not totally comedy and it`s not a war story in the mould of Saving Private Ryan. And it`s not so much a war story as an anti-war story.

It`s very hard to categorise, there`s actually quite a lot of originality in here. A good, fast-moving storyline, good performances from the leads (I told you not to be put off). Some parts will make you laugh out loud, some parts may shock, some parts may make you go "eeugghh". But overall a very good film, and a good couple of hours entertainment. And plenty more hours when you throw the extras into the equation.