Tweetie's DVD Review
Created | Updated Jun 22, 2003
DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) is the new format for bringing films to your home. With better quality pictures and sound, and extra features generally included as standard on most major releases, it may revolutionise the industry. So, of course, h2g2 has to get in on the act. A quick warning though: DVD distribution is split into several regions all over the world. Due to this, there are slight variations in the different regions' discs. So bear in mind, this review is for region 2 (British)discs.
Three Kings
The Film
David O Russell's 'Three Kings' is the first film to take on the subject of the Gulf War- sooner than expected, as the war is still considered fairly recent history. It takes an often comic view of events, with a cynical, knowing tone to the tale, whilst also presenting a number of highly poignant scenes depicting the tragedy war brings.
The film tells the story of four American soldiers- Archie Gates (George Clooney- 'Out of Sight', 'The Perfect Storm'), Troy Barlow (Mark Wahlberg- 'Boogie Nights', 'The Perfect Storm'), Chief Elgin (Ice Cube) and Conrad Vig (Spike Jonze- director of 'Being John Malkovich')- who find a map (where they find it has to be seen to be believed), leading to stolen Kuwaiti gold. Of course, getting the treasure isn't as easy as it seems, and the situation escalates, forcing the foursome into the centre of a democratic uprising- putting their lives (and the fortune) in jeopardy.
Clooney and Wahlberg make for good leads- the former perfecting his 'Doug Ross in a war zone' act as unofficial group leader, the latter providing the 'family back home' sympathetic character. The two clearly work well together (it's a partnership that was repeated in 'The Perfect Storm'), with a good chemistry which allows them to bounce off each other's performance. Turning in a slightly less accessible performance is Ice Cube, as the god-fearing Chief Elgin. Whilst he acts well, it's a little harder to care about what happens to his character than the other three. Perhaps the most interesting actor to watch, however is Spike Jonze. After his fantastically bizarre film 'Being John Malkovich', and his interesting take on dancing in the Fat Boy Slim video for the song 'Praise You', to see him act is a great novelty. One which is successful too- as the quirky, slightly dim, desperate for acceptance Conrad Vig, he is by turns hilarious, and heart-wrenchingly moving.
Russell's assured direction produces an extremely effective movie- one which takes on an issue still close to the hearts of many people, and presents an entirely original view of it. It's often a knowing and cynical movie, which understands the ironies of the war, and faces them head on. The visual presentation of the film is stunning- the bleached frames, and bright colours are the antithesis of the traditional war movies, which tend to work in khaki colours. Clearly Russell employs many experimental techniques (which he explains in the audio commentary), which blend in perfectly with the kinetic feeling of the film. And yes, the infamous shots of what happens when a bullet enters the body or when you blow up a cow are just as impressive as expected.
Result: ****
The Disc
Warner Bros' disc is a serious presentation, filled with extras for both DVD players, and DVD-Roms. All the usual suspects are here- interactive menus, trailer, cast and crew details, deleted scenes (with or without commentary) and behind-the-scenes documentaries. On top of these extras, there are such bonuses as a tour of the Iraqi village set and an interview with cinematographer Tom Sigel. Truly original (and a great indicator of just how much a disc can pack in) is the inclusion of David O Russell's video journal, taking us through the production process. It's interesting to see exactly what goes into trying to get a movie made, all the way up to the film's premiere.
Apart from getting to show his acting skills, Spike Jonze has a chance here to show what he can do behind the camera. Firstly there is a photo gallery of shots from the set, shot by Jonze. Secondly, there is the frankly hilarious short film 'An intimate look into the acting process with Ice Cube', directed by the ubiquitous filmmaker. Clearly Spike Jonze had a busy time on set.
Finally, included on the disc are not one, but two audio commentaries. The first is an absorbing one by Russell, concentrating on the story behind the shoot (although lacking a good amount of dirt on the well-reported fight between Clooney and his director). The second is from producers Charles Roven and Edward L McDonnell, offering a fresh perspective on the making of the film.
Along with these features, there are also extras exclusively for DVD-Roms. Firstly there are Persian Gulf War web links to CNN's online Gulf War archives, Secondly, an enhanced 'Assmap' includes links to relevant scenes in the movie. Finally, the original theatrical web site is permanently housed on the disc so that it can be continually accessed.
Result:*****
