It is difficult to describe exactly what you'll get when you go see Three Kings. That is perhaps the highest complement we can pay to this flawed, but highly original film from David O. Russell, director of Flirting With Disaster and the aptly-named incest-fest, Spanking the Monkey. Three Kings is truly unlike any film I've seen before, and I admired it for its risk-taking and its plot which actually questions American foreign policy during the Gulf War. And, perhaps most importantly, this is undeniably a film for guys. There are no sappy sub-plots undermining the decidedly un-romantic premise of Three Kings.

Three Kings begins as the Gulf War is ending. We are introduced to the four main characters: Archie Gates (George Clooney), a self-centered officer; Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg), a family man from Detroit; Chief Elgin (Ice Cube), a God-fearing soldier; and Conrad Vig (film director Spike Jonze), a simple-minded hayseed who worships Wahlberg's character. A map is found strategically-placed up the posterior of an Iraqi soldier, a map which Clooney believes leads to Saddam's stash of stolen Kuwaiti gold. Before long, the four men (despite the misleading title), set out to steal the gold.

The gold and other stolen goods are hidden in a bunker beneath a small Iraqi village. As the men reach the village and the gold, they encounter little resistance from the Iraqi army, which is far-too concerned with combatting rebellious Iraqi dissidents. As the American soldiers prepare their loot for departure, they find the plight of the Iraqi rebels weighing heavily upon their consciences. This is in no small part because the U.S. government encouraged the rebellion, but then did nothing to support it.

It would be unfair to say in what direction Three Kings goes from here, because one of the great pleasures of the film is that it continually surprises. From one scene to another the audience is genuinely left wondering what will happen next, and little is predictable. One thing is certain: the film pulls no punches in its criticism of American policy in Iraq. On one hand it criticizes Operation Desert Storm for even happening, but on the other hand it attacks it for not going far enough. Its lack of clear viewpoint is refreshing. The film does just enough to be thought-provoking without resorting to gavel-pounding preaching.

For you guys out there, Three Kings contains plenty of action and excitement. But the action makes perfect sense as you watch the plot of the film unfold. No explosion seems to take place for the sake of the explosion. Of course in certain films, there is nothing wrong with a healthy explosion. But the action in this film is not there simply for entertainment, for that would be incredibly inappropriate. Instead, the action is often frighteningly realistic. The film even goes to great lengths to show the effects of a bullet-wound on the human body.

Three Kings is not a perfect film. There are a few moments of forced drama, and it is easy to predicy exactly what is going to happen to one of the characters in this film. But for the most part, it is the unpredictability of the film which is its strength. When is the last time you can say a major Hollywood release was unpredictable, exciting, and thought-provoking all at once? It is truly refreshing to see a new film and I heartily recommend Three Kings.