Hostel & Hostel II - Double Feature - Blu-ray (2012)

DO NOT BUY THIS!!!

Seriously it is defective! In the final five minutes of the first Hostel movie when Paxton exits the train the audio goes crazy and it becomes a random mix of sounds that do not mix with the movies itself and no doubt ruins the experience imo.

I am not the only one who has this problem because other reviewers here have expressed having the same issue! I only hope that they remove these defective blu-rays from Amazon and department stores because honestly it's a massive error on Mill Creek's part but perhaps I should not be surprised.

1 star for this edition of Hostel/Hostel 2

The movies themselves are gore classics in the horror genre.

Thanks guys now please don't make the same mistake I made.

Yep, like everyone has mentioned, the audio was synced improperly during the final scene of HOSTEL. I emailed Mill Creek Entertainment (just do a search concerning the matter) about the disc, got an immediate response about it. I was surprised with the expediency of return contact, honestly. The rep asked for my contact information in order to send a replacement, free of charge. I wasn't expecting anything to happen after that, so I ordered the individual Sony releases, and forgot about it. Surprise! Checked my mail today, to find a corrected set, along with a nice bonus nature blu-ray. I'm guessing Mill Creek is a small company, and hey, crap happens.

By the way, I've watched both presentations. There is no real difference in picture and audio quality, between the Sony and Mill Creek transfers.These are dark, grainy films. If you don't need the special features, go with this one. Nice to have both inexpensively on one disc.

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If your buying this just to have, check the first movie on the last five minutes, mine had an audio track error. This is relatively new so make sure yours isn't a bad copy.

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The blu-ray was good quality. At the end of the Hostel I the audio track was off and I was very disappointed

Amazon offered me a refund. I am afraid to re-purchase the item as they all may be defective. Otherwise, I

would love to have this (in good condition) in my collection.

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Everything that reviewers have already been saying about this set are true. Very low quality and no features. The films are highly entertaining, but this particular double feature release is horrible. Avoid.

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War, Inc. (2008)

I almost skipped this one as a political annoyance until I saw the star power supporting it: Ben Kingsley, Marisa Tomei (a personal favorite), John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and more. That cast simply won't let a movie be bad. They couldn't if they tried.

Despite an apparent attempt to be ordinary entertainment, this one rises above all the usual categories. Do you want a cynical mockumentary of Haliburton-style war profiteering? Got it. Do you want pointed jabs at operations funded by Congress's "black budget?" Check. Do you want satirical assaults on simplistic sloganeering from every possible direction? It's there. Add in a babe like a pre-meltdown Britney but with hotter hotpants and a bucket of slapstick, and you're headed in the right direction. For example, a major character's name is "Uckmee Fay." Speakers of pig-Latin, please take note.

They set the tone from the very first scene. Chevy Chase delivers a "Mission Impossible" style of assignment to a high-class assassin, via video, while seated on American Standard's finest. Later, Joan Cusack shows up in the role that she has perfected the prim, cheery, and murderous psychopath. There's a lot more, too. I laughed all through, even (maybe especially) when I knew that outrage would have been the "appropriate" response.

This one really grows on me the more I think about it. It doesn't whap you upside the head with humor, politics, or even its sappy moments. Instead, it tickles you with not-quite-too-much of social commentary, current events, goofy jokes, visual gags, and enough more to hold it all together. I liked it more a few hours later than when I walked out the door, and lots of movies have the opposite effect on me.

-wiredweird, reviewing the theatrical release

PS: See it some time soon. The topical humor in this one might age badly unless the The Powers That Be keep providing background to preserve its freshness.

I loved it. Take John Cusack, add 1 part Brazil and pour over Starship Troopers, and you've got a hilariously bizaare commentary on geopolitics and the industrial war machine.

Its dark, and I mean, almost navy. Its only downfall is its heaviness, and sometimes it and the metaphors are jammed down your throat a little too often, but the ensemble cast is actually phenomenal, with Ben Kingsley and even Hillary Duff doing a great job (I can't believe I typed that).

You will laugh, if you have a dark sense of humor and like smart comedy. This movie is very timely, with the rise of the military farming out their work to private security (who are portrayed to be the craziest of all the crazies in the movie). Its small wonder it tanked in the box office, but if you have a proclivity towards movies like Dr. Strangelove, you'll find this to be one of the better movies you watched this year.

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I came upon this movie by accident while I was visiting friends in Colorado (because, naturally, such a film won't be shown in ultra-conservative Georgia). I immediately fell in love with the dark humor and political satire as my favorite actor battled against his conscience, his bosses, and his hot sauce addiction. This movie is a fun watch for all, but particularly relevant to those of us who oppose the war. John Cusack hits it out of the park by finally saying what everyone's been too afraid to say. "War, Inc." is a MUST SEE!

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I've seen this when released and I would disagree with many of the reviewers who complain of the "disjointed" script. This movie is not confusing. It is extremely fast paced and can be watched several times to get all the jokes. The special effects are brutally effective and the underlying message very disturbing. The dark humor is right on, especially the bit where the Cusack's only friend is his Northstar roadside assistance system. The only complaint of the movie is how they fit Hillary Duff into the movie. It's a bit corny, but hey, it's Hollywood.

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War Inc has an all star cast that includes John Cusack as Hauser a troubled assassin who has accepted a job of bumping off the figure head of a rival nation. To do this he must pose as a trade show coordinator hosting a Tamerlane Brand USA Expo in recently "liberated" country Turaqistan. On top of all this and with the help of his assistant (Joan Cusack) he has to juggle a headstrong reporter (Marisa Tomei) and the impending wedding of pop superstar Yonika BabyYea (Hilary Duff). War Inc is a film that will entertain a number of different audiences. On the surface the film plays much like a guy with girl troubles film but its the underlying theme that really makes it shine. Writers Mark Leyner, Jeremy Pikser and John Cusack weave a story that draws many parallels between what is happening on screen and in America today. One could easily view these larger than life characters as allegorical representations of the American Public, Capitalism, Big Business, Government, The Media...and so on. There is of course a good bit of the absurd, including but not limited to: fighting, licking and hotsauce drinking. Overall this film is ahead of its time for its candid statements about the geo political climate and its fun enough that you can still eat popcorn too. I hope you enjoy!

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The Last Days of Disco (The Criterion Collection) (1998)

Directed by the amazing Whit Stillman ("Barcelona"; "Metropolitan"), "The Last Days of Disco" examines the life of several young, upward, professionals (or "yuppies" for short) during the early 1980's, when the disco craze was dying and the Decade of Decadence was beginning.

Alice (Chloë Sevigny of "Boys Don't Cry") and Charlotte (Kate Beckisndale of "Brokedown Palace") are two young publishing assistants who live as roommates in the city. Living on a love/hate relationship with one another, both girls decide to socialize with New York's club elite at the most popular club in the city.

There, they meet up with the likes of advertising execs and employees, odd club characters such as the Tiger Lady (played by Drew Barrymore's real-life mother, Jaid Barrymore) and others who give the film a unique flavor when it comes to recreating the disco era of the late 1970's/early 1980's.

While I really can't give away the details that moves the film to its' conclusion, all I can say that this film blows away the only other disco-era film that was released around the same time, "Studio 54." While the latter tried to recreate the final days of New York City's most infamous nightspot, it failed to capture the energy that disco era was well-known for. Unlike "Studio 54," instead of revolving around the life of one character, "Last Days" focuses on the lives of several young professionals, which gives it more flavor and attraction.

Personally, Whit Stillman simply is one of the best American directors out there. His films all involve wit, energy, love, and the elements that plague young adults now and then. In one I consider to be one of the best-written scripts in recent years, Stillman pours plenty of wit and insight on what it is to be young and successful in a large city.

Another great thing about this film is its' excellent disco-era soundtrack. Covering such classics such as "I'm Coming Out" by Diana Ross and "Everybody Dance" by Chic, I almost felt that I was transported to the club in the film. If you loved this film, I highly recommend picking up a copy of the soundtrack.

If you love Disco and/or films about life in New York City, I highly recommend this film. It is one of the best films of 1998, and after watching it I can't wait for Whit Stillman's next project.

If you can't stand to watch another exploding helicopter, "Disco" and the other two Whit Stillman movies are a good antidote. The characters actually say interesting things.

You may want to watch "Metropolitan" before watching "The Last Days of Disco" to understand the world the characters come from. You may be a little misled by watching "Metropolitan" first, though. It's a simple, gentle story while "Barcelona" and "Disco" are sexier and set in more exotic locales.

Some reviewers didn't like these movies because the characters speak articulately in fully-formed, grammatically-correct sentences. I can see where they might mistake it for bad writing or acting. The bio commentary on the "Disco" DVD talks about the film crew being impressed by the Sevigny and Beckinsale's ability to recreate New England prep school speech an indication that preppies really talk that way. I'm from California where we're all inarticulate, so I wouldn't know. Ultimately, I don't care people don't break out singing in real life, either, but you wouldn't want to do away with musicals. Notice that the non-preppy characters in these movies talk like "normal" people.

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Whit Stillman's 1998 film "The Last Days of Disco" remains one of his best pictures a refreshing, intelligent, and often subtly hilarious look at shallow yuppies living, clubbing, and loving at the tail end of the Disco era (i.e. "the very early 1980s"). The demure Chloe Sevigny and the bitchy Kate Beckinsale play a vastly different pair of publishing assistants who decide to room in a New York railroad apartment while they hit the highlife at night with a colorful group of supporting characters -not the least of which include advertising man Mackenzie Astin (who needs the disco to attract clients), club bouncer Chris Eigeman (a Stillman regular), and assistant district attorney Matt Keeslar (who perhaps has both the hots for Sevigny, and ulterior motives for visiting the disco himself).

The performances are uniformly on target, each character believably echoing the frivolous nature of the music, but also the genuine feeling for the time and place they do share. Stillman provides seemingly every character with a vital scene or line of dialogue, and comes down hard on their essentially materialistic ideals while never condemning them or turning the picture into a broadly comic spoof. Sevigny's character, in particular, is a credible portrait of a young girl lost in the big city, emotionally if nothing else, and Beckinsale creates one of the most effectively obnoxious (but believable!) women you're ever likely to see on the big screen, years before the actress dedicated most of her time to becoming a plastic action figure.

They all speak Stillman's prose, which is funny, insightful and hip, making "The Last Days of Disco" engaging and fun, filled with an enjoyable soundtrack, while the director handles each turn -dramatic and (predominantly) comic -with an unabashed love for the era. It may not have a gigantic, thought-provoking point, but then again, neither did the early '80s.

Criterion's Blu-Ray of "The Last Days of Disco" is basically a HD reprise of their 2009 DVD edition, with the added surplus of an excellent 1080p AVC encoded transfer and DTS MA soundtrack. Extras include a commentary from Stillman, Sevigny and Eigeman; four deleted scenes; the trailer, a behind-the-scenes featurette, stills gallery, and an audio recording of Stillman reading a chapter from his book "The Last Days of Disco, with Cocktails at Petrossian Afterwards."

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The Last Days of Disco is a fantastic movie, but only if you are prepared to really listen to the dialogue.

The thing that I like most about Whit Stillman's movies is his characters dissatisfied and confused with their lives as they may be. My favourite actor in all of Stillman's movies is Chris Eigeman, who always plays a cynical character, who is offensive to all, but who I still find likeable. In The Last Days of Disco, Eigeman is Des, a cocaine snorting, womanising underboss in popular nightclub.

Look out for the hilarious Lady and the Tramp scene in the movie, as well as the scene where Des snorts some hot coffee because it may contain the same effects as cocaine. This is a movie that gets heavy on dialogue, but is worth it. Even though the characters are pompous, they are extremely well developed and acted.

The Last Days of Disco is a fantastic movie, and for me brought alive the disco era in a way that movies such as Studio 54 did not come near. But only for people who like to really watch movies, not just have them on in the background.

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"The Last Days of Disco" recalls a specific time the very early 1980's. The video opens with a shot of two young women walking down the street. The shot is framed in such a way that you only see the bottom half of their legs. It's a shot that immediately recalls the disco-era classic, "Saturday Night Fever" with it's similar opening clearly Whit Stillman (who wrote and directed) knows what he's doing.

The film is a sort of coming-of-age story of two book publishing assistants Alice (well played by Chloe Sevigny who can be seen in the current "Boys Don't Cry") and Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale). Looking to expand their social circle, they frequent a hard-to-get-into nightclub (not mentioned but obviously patterned after New York's famed Studio 54). The more experienced Charlotte ("Maybe in physical terms I'm cuter than you but you should be much more popular than I am") gives Alice lots of advice like how she should always try and throw the word "sexy" into her conversation or how Harvard guys can be amazing creeps. She talks of the "tremendous importance of group social life" and claims to oppose "all this ferocious pairing off". She's a bit of a phony, however, which we (like Alice) come to find out. But Stillman rises above making crass judgements about her, he doesn't make fun of her he essentially likes her, as he does all the characters. This includes Des, whose act is to pretend he's recently discovered he's gay in order to gain sympathy from women, before cruelly dumping them.

Deftly observed, "The Last Days of Disco" is one of the best videos I saw in 1998. It's an extremely talky, almost plotless, CHARACTER-driven story. The talk, however, is often very witty. Take, for example, the debate that films like "Lady and the Tramp" program women to adore jerks. Or the idea that the environmental movement started in the 50's after we all saw "Bambi". This is a terrific film that shines a light on a confusing time a time many were scarcely prepared for.

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The English Teacher (2013)

I give this movie 3.5 stars.

The good:

Julianne Moore plays the awkward teacher perfectly

Never boring

Some funny moments

Cute ending (altho predictable)

The bad:

NONE of the characters are likeable

A major lack of character development

Even with the flaws, I cannot help but like this movie. Would I recommend it? Yes.

Wanted to like this movie more as I was looking for a strong comedy to lighten up a boring Saturday. Nathan Lane did not disappoint, and Julienne Moore was great as always. Just wasn't over the top funny.

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The writers ruined a perfectly good opportunity to tell a story of a talented playwright who just needed a chance to stage his work.

This movie features the kind of lying that injures friendship, destroys family relationships, and induces despair. It portrays a bullying atmosphere in a school, with buffoons for teachers, buffoons for kids, buffoons for parents.

How this miserable, hillbilly saga got off the ground is a testimony to Hollywood's conviction that America is a sick, soiled society. And the actors should be ashamed for not having the moral fabric to KNOW what a bummer of a B movie they were agreeing to act in. Disgusting. Made my flesh creep.

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The movie was ok. I felt it was unrealistic and would never happen that way. I have never a teacher like that.

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Great beginning. Some very effective visuals. Fun story with some funny and some interesting moments. So much of the whole picture is telegraphed in the first 15 minutes..but how many swords do you have to fall on to make a point.

Glad to see it. Frustrating last half. Good performances by all. Weak ending. Wouldn't recommend.

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A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

This review refers to the 1998 DVD edition of "A Fish Called Wanda"(MGM)

"A Fish Called Wanda" is a fabulous romp with a group of jewel thieves, of which the term "honor among thieves" has no meaning!

At every turn, they are scheming and manipulating the events, as each wants the loot for themselves. The most scheming and manipulating of all is the lone woman of the bunch, who is also the weak spot for all the fellows. Wanda, played impeccably by Jaime Lee Curtis, has these guys falling over themselves trying to get the loot and the girl! Kevin Kline, John Cleese(who also penned the screenplay)and Michael Palin, will have you in stitches with each and every view. Every time I view it I see or hear some little detail or subtlety I didnt get previously.

Nearly 20 years later(yes fans, it's been that long), this film has not lost one bit of it's appeal for those of us that like our humor a little on the bawdy side(Although all in good fun).

But!...Give me a break MGM. This DVD is quite shabby considering the loyal fans this film has.This DVD does have a couple of things going for it. It has the choice of widescreen viewing or standard, has English, and French subtitles, for those who may need them, and includes a booklet with production notes and trivia. Also, the menu page was cute. If you click on the little treasure chest in the aquarium, the screen becomes just the "Wanda" fish swimming around with sound effects. However... as another reviewer mentioned the picture is below average. It does not live up to the reason why we don't mind paying a little extra for a DVD vs a VHS. The sound is in MONO..what's up with that? This film is deserving of at least stereo sound.

And as usual, after all of us have already purchased this now classic comedy, MGM is coming up with a new "Deluxe" edition, that is more along the lines of what is expected of a DVD.(Talk about double dipping!)It is a 2 disc edition and shows these features:

"Audio Commentary with Actor/Writer John Cleese

Over 25 minutes of Deleted and Alternate Scenes

John Cleese's First Farewell Performance

Something's Fishy Making-of Documentary

Easter Eggs, Previews, and More!"

It is available for pre-order(but doesn't list the sound available yet)The ASIN for that site is B000E33W1C.

5 stars for a film that never gets old. 3 stars to MGM for making us wait this long for a decent view.

Still laughing after all these years...Laurie

fans of the very talented Kevin Kline may also enjoy:

The Ice Storm

Grand Canyon

see my reviews for film details both are fabulous

Starting with the commonplace idea of a jewel robbery gone maniacally wrong, actor John Cleese and director Charles Crichton manage have created a madcap comedy that remains fresh, even after 10 years. George (Tom Georgeson), assisted by his girlfriend Wanda (Jamie Lee Curtis), his best pal Ken (Michael Palin) and Wanda's 'brother' Otto (Kevin Kline) has orchestrated a robbery that has only one fatal flaw none of the participants have any intention of sharing the loot. In short order, double-crosses seem to grow on trees and George finds himself under arrest. It is only fitting that Wanda and Otto simultaneously discover that the jewels have been moved 'for safekeeping.'

It doesn't take very long for Wanda to figure out that her only hope of regaining the loot is through George's barrister, Archie Leach (John Cleese). Wanda works at seducing Leach while fighting of Otto's psychotic fits of jealousy. Ken, in the meantime, attempts repeatedly to kill the only witness, an elderly woman. Unfortunately, he manages to assassinate all three of her dogs in the process.

This is a set up for the combination of slapstick, vulgarity, and tongue-in-cheek comedy that British films are noted for and Americans love and it is delivered with an almost evil verve. Cleese is determined to take no prisoners, and the landscape is littered with car crashes, fallen masonry, savaged canines (fake savaged canines, please) and hapless victims. Only the fish (also called Wanda) has no funny lines, and fares no better than her companion 'Lunch' does.

The film has an R rating, which I think is exaggerated. In reality, its vulgarity and sexual innuendo are hardly noticeable when compared to what is accepted today. I certainly think teenagers can handle it without permanent damage, although you may have to explain to them that certain phrases don't bear repeating. At this price, expect a bare bones DVD. No added games, no interviews, just the film in French and English, in both wide screen and standard presentations. Even so, this is a classic comedy that will bear much watching.

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NOTE: This review is about the 1998 version of the DVD. Newer releases may be better quality.

--------------

This film is definitely on my top ten list of funniest movies of all time, with "Some Like it Hot," "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation" and the Monty Python masterpieces...

But this DVD is atrocious. The soundtrack is all in the center channel... haven't heard anything worse since I gave up watching a TV with a 3 inch speaker. The theme song is burbled and warbly. There is no separation -even to the front speakers. The dialog is flat as a flitter.

The picture quality is a hair better than off the air, rabbit ear antennae reception. At times the picture is choppy and halting -as if you were watching it on a rental video that has been viewed too many times.

The only extra is the film's trailer.

Wait for a re-release before buying!

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I love the movie "A Fish Called Wanda". It is one of my all time favorite movies. If you haven't seen it, go rent/buy it there is no better time to see it, now that it is on DVD!

Therefore, this is a review of the DVD not the movie. The DVD has a very good presentation of the movie the best you can watch at home (as mentioned above). However, the sound is lacking dull mono. Maybe this movie was originally recorded in mono, but I would be surprised.

Next there is the lack of extras you get the trailer and "cast notes" but virtually nothing else... just a dumb fish screen saver.

I don't mean to be so down on this DVD, it isn't terrible, it is just a disappointment to think of all of the unrealized potential. First of all, there is the sound. Then, there was no behind the scenes featurette, no comentaries, no deleted scenes, nothing. With Kline, Cleese, Palin and Curtis in the cast, there could have been all kinds of killer extras. But there wasn't...

At this point I would give this DVD 3 stars. However, it earns an extra star because MGM bowed to pressure and put it out in Widescreen. They originally planned on P&S only.

So thanks a lot, MGM, but now get busy on a "Collectors Edition".

Jeremy

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The movie is in great shape, and the extras are worth the money. The cast interviews were quite revealing. Jamie Lee tells who she thinks the best kisser was among Kline, Palin, and Cleese. And you find out if Cleese really was hung out a window or if it was just special effects. Cleese's running commentary was worth sitting through, even for me, and I usually hate those things. The deleted scenes weren't very interesting--just shots, really, not even full scenes. Overall, though, I'm very glad I bought it!

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We The Party (2012)

Hendrix (Mandela Van Peebles) is a high school student. He works at parties as a DJ to earn money to buy a car. He has done the guy thing and entered into a "first one to loose their virginity" contest with 4 friends. Meanwhile he wants to date Cheyenne (Simone Battle) the Phoebe Cates of this teen movie. Cheyenne's dad (Michael Jai White) is a policeman and won't allow his daughter to date anyone below a 3.5 grade average. Hendrix makes an arrangement to have Cheyenne tutor him so he can get his grade point average up and take her to the prom.

The film also has some party rappers, an up skirt cell phone cam, a school project that interfaces with poor people, and a token 20 year old near thug (Y.G. who pays C.C.) in class. Snoop Dog listed in the credits has a minor role.

Peebles has no problem quoting Malcolm X (just called Malcolm in the film to fool us white folk) and gives a grand lecture on consumerism, aimed at both Hendrix and the audience. The acting and story line were just fine, it just seems to be underdeveloped. Maybe I have just outgrown these films.

PARENTAL GUIDE: F-Bomb, off screen sex, no nudity. 2 1/2 stars

Great movie never a dull moment definitely one for the collection . We the party served as a look in to life nowadays and its right on.

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The movie was good not only for myself but for my grandchildren as well. I have recomended it and will continue to do so Thanks

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I truly enjoyed watching this movie. The mesage that it is sending out to our younger adults about the company you keep is important. To treat people the way you want to be treated at all times. I will watch again and share with others that visit me and want to watch movies.

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I enjoyed it i never saw it before i bought it and It was a great movie. I reccomend this movie to everyone!!

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Three Kings (2010)

THREE KINGS is not for everyone. And it's not easily pigeonholed. Fans of categorization will hate it. :)

"What's it like?" they ask. You can't say it's a comedy, because plenty of people won't find it funny. Can you say it's a heist film? Only if you're narrow-minded. An action movie? Yeah, maybe, but this isn't comic book action here.

Soldiers at the tail end of the Gulf War get a lead on a hidden stash of gold and decide to find it and take it home. What happens to them along the way changes their objectives and changes their lives in profound ways. Director David O Russell has crafted a movie that SEEMS to be aimless, changing directions with the wind, but is actually a movie with a certain destination, taking a more realistic approach to arrive there. A good example of this narrative philosophy is pointed out by Russell in his excellent and illuminating commentary track: in one scene Clooney is rushing pell-mell through an underground bunker and collides with another man rushing to get out. There's no "point" to it other than that these distracting things happen in real life all the time, just not usually in the movies.

The DVD's price is good and it's PACKED with so many extras (all of them interesting and worthwhile, too) that it's hard to pass up THREE KINGS for purchasing. Very much recommended.

If you found this review informative at all, please vote YES! Thanks.

I was expecting a fun in the sun with guns and gold kind of movie. Boy was I surprised! This ranks up with movies like Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line as a really intelligent "war like it really is" story.

It starts off fairly simply. At the end of Desert Storm a group of soldiers find a map showing where stolen Kuwaiti gold was being kept so they go get it. What was extraordinary was the way that the Iraqi soldiers actually helped them but would not let them help any of the locals. Orders from Saddam they said.

However, seeing the injustice being meted out by the Iraqi soldiers our four heroes (Clooney, Wahlberg, Cube and Jonze) decide to intervene. Things do not go well as Wahlberg is captured and tortured and all their vehicles are destroyed.

The torture scene is poignant. Wahlberg and his torturer have much in common: they are fathers, they joined the army to give their families a better standard of living, except that the torturer's one year old son was killed in a US bombing raid and his wife lost her legs. When later on Wahlberg is rescued and he has a chance to kill his torturer, his decision adds all the more depth to the story.

Although Saddam is villified in this movie, the story seems to take no sides. This is not about heroes and glory but about the struggle that everyone has with their own oppression whether it is a tyrant, a poor job or dumb bosses. There are some very touching moments and some great humour. All the actors are very convincing (including all the Iraqi extras) and portay the ambiguity of people caught up in something out of their control.

This is a very good movie and will keep you thinking. The anatomical "shots" are an interesting feature but are insignificant against the storyline. A good movie to add to your collection and talk about with your friends. Loads of extras on the DVD too!

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I'll admit the first time I saw this movie in the cinema; I didn't like it that much. Then again, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't sure whether it would be a comedy, a drama, or an action film etc. So when the movie was finished and I was walking out of the cinema, I wasn't too sure what to make of it.

I didn't watch the movie for another few years until my friend got it on DVD and having nothing else to do, I decided to watch it again, hoping I would have a different point of view after watching it for a second time. And boy, am I glad I did!

Three Kings is a great movie with; I believe, a deeper meaning. The basic plot is about 4 soldiers in the Gulf War who discover a map on a prisoner after the war is over. It turns out that the map shows the location of $23 million worth of Kuwaiti bullion stolen by the Iraqis. So these 4 soldiers set about getting themselves a nice little bonus. However, upon retrieving the gold, Sgt. Archie Gates (Clooney) and his men are faced with a dilemma: take the gold and allow innocent Iraqi people to be slaughtered by the Iraqi soldiers OR take the gold, try & save the Iraqi people. Obviously the second option comes along with a lot more risk. Gates' moral conscience takes over and he decides upon the latter, citing that "necessity had just changed" and so on goes the movie.

I think David Russell did a fantastic job directing the movie, and getting his message across, which I believe was that President George Bush (Sr.) left the Iraqi people to die.

When America won the Gulf war, President Bush told the people to rise against Saddam and that they would have the full support of the United States of America. Whereas in reality, Bush didn't give a rats a@! and innocent civilians were getting slaughtered while Bush felt he had done his part and `won the war'.

Overall, I believe Three Kings would be an excellent addition to anyone's DVD collection. Clooney, Ice Cube & Mark Wahlberg are all superb in their roles and it makes for a highly entertaining film.

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This is like no other war movie I have ever seen. It was not your typical blood and guts tragedy that drags on. The camera work in this movie was unbelieveable! And the story line kept my interest all the way through the credits. What sets this apart from other war movies, is that Three Kings was about post-war and the after effects. Dealing with refugees and stolen goods. Say no more...I do not want to spoil anything. Check this movie out, you will NOT be disappointed.

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Looked great, was exciting and original, and was one of the most visually imaginative movies I have ever seen. With this and Out of Sight under his belt (and the Coens' "Brother Where Art Thou" and Wolfgang Peterson's "Perfect Storm" on the way) George Cloony could turn out to be a really great cool actor, and Mark Wahlberg proves once again (see Boogie Nights) that he is more than just a singer who drops his pants. Ice Cube and Spike Jonze were great as well, I might add. The best part about this movie is that it doesn't abandon intelligence like most action movies do these days, and preserves a strong political viewpoint throughout. The footage of the bullet entering the body was unlike anything ive seen used in film, and the gunfight scene in the villaige was great. I think the most important part of the movie however was the long running scene in the bunker between the imprisoned Wahlberg and his captor, who lost his wife and child in one of the US's air strikes. It shows that both sides have something to lose, and offers the fact that the US can't always be seen as the only side fighting for a richeous cause in a war. By the way: I am not one who likes to pass judgement on other peoples' movie opinions, but I must say that anybody who gives Ace Ventura precedence over this masterwork has more than a few screws loose. I can't wait for the DVD.

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