BEFORE: Another caper film, but a special choice for Veteran's Day - set during the first Gulf War in 1991.
THE PLOT: In the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, 4 soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who desperately need their help.
AFTER: I was a little worried at first - a movie about soldiers stealing gold might not set the right tone..but this movie is actually deep and complicated, much like the Gulf War itself turned out to be...
Archie Gates (George Clooney) and his crew (Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube) learn that there's no such thing as a simple smash and grab - at least not while the Iraqi people are rising up against Saddam Hussein, and the Iraqi soldiers are either surrendering or killing rebels. Hoping to take advantage of the confusion, the U.S. soldiers meet some Iraqis who want to help them, and others who want to shoot them - and they're forced to team up with some refugees, who want passage to the border as well as some of the gold in return for their help.
The fourth U.S. soldier in the squad is played by Spike Jonze - I didn't know he ever did any acting - he's actually quite good as Conrad, the cornpone inexperienced country-boy soldier. Jamie Kennedy plays another soldier who spends most of the movie driving a reporter (Nora Dunn) around - and there's a quick cameo by comedian Jim Gaffigan as another soldier near the end.
This really fit the definition of a caper movie - lots of plot twists, a hidden treasure, high tension situations...
RATING: 7 out of 10 nerf footballs
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