Dark comedy Kings achieves plenty of darkness, few laughs

The new movie Three Kings continues the long line of films about wars in which the United States has been involved.

The movie features George Clooney as disillusioned Special Forces Major Archie Gates. After three soldiers, played by Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube and Spike Jonze, find a map of bunkers that contain millions in Kuwaiti gold, Gates convinces them that they should steal the gold and keep it for themselves.

Soon they start on their search for the gold only to be faced with the atrocious treatment of the Kuwaiti people after the war by Saddam Hussein's troops. No longer able to turn his back on their suffering, Gates tries to help them and ends up jeopardizing his scheme.

The movie was promoted as a dark comedy, but mostly it's just dark. Most of the scenes that were supposed to be funny were sick and rather disturbing. Hint: If people thought the cow twirling around the car in Twister was animal cruelty then, they probably won't like what they do in Kings.

But it was the disturbing scenes that were the most powerful, and the picture should at least get an Oscar nomination for best cinematography.

Unfortunately all the rave reviews will go to Clooney instead of the excellent supporting cast of Wahlberg, Ice Cube, newcomer Jonze and the refugees they helped to save.

Clooney's portrayal as Gates, a man who is waging an internal war within himself, was monotonous and a disappointment after his great performance in Out of Sight. He would get close to shedding his persona for that of his character, but he never fully achieved it.

No, the praise has to go to the refugees trying to escape their plight. That was the performance that broke the audience's hearts.

Three Kings is rated R for language, adult situations, adult content, and violence.