The Kingdom Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
An elite FBI team sent to find a killer in a hostile country
Trust No One
Under fire. Under pressure. Out of time.
How do you stop an enemy who isn't afraid to die?
An elite FBI team sent to find a killer in Saudi Arabia. Now they have become the target.
When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. While diplomats slowly debate equations of territorialism, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury quickly assembles an elite team and negotiates a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia to locate the madman behind the bombing. Upon landing in the desert kingdom, however, Fleury and his team discover Saudi authorities suspicious and unwelcoming of American interlopers into what they consider a local matter. Hamstrung by protocol-and with the clock ticking on their five days-the FBI agents find their expertise worthless without the trust of their Saudi counterparts, who want to locate the terrorist in their homeland on their own terms. Fleury's crew finds a like-minded partner in Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi, who helps them navigate royal politics and unlock the secrets of the crime scene and the workings of an extremist cell bent on further destruction. With these unlikely allies sharing a propulsive commitment to crack the case, the team is led to the killer's front door in a blistering do-or-die confrontation. Now in a fight for their own lives, strangers united by one mission won't stop until justice is found in The Kingdom.
| Jamie Foxx | Ronald Fleury |
| Chris Cooper | Grant Sykes |
| Jennifer Garner | Janet Mayes |
| Jason Bateman | Adam Leavitt |
| Ashraf Barhom | Colonel Faris Al Ghazi |
| Ali Suliman | Sergeant Haytham |
| Jeremy Piven | Damon Schmidt |
| Richard Jenkins | FBI Director James Grace |
| Kyle Chandler | Francis Manner |
| Frances Fisher | Elaine Flowers |
| Danny Huston | Attorney General Gideon Young |
| Kelly AuCoin | Ellis Leach |
| Anna Deavere Smith | Maricella Canavesio |
| Minka Kelly | Miss Ross |
| Amy Hunter | Lyla Fleury |
| Peter Berg |
7.30 out of 10 (8196 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A gr8 movie but not reality based....
posted on 28 Aug 2009i watched this movie and it was wrong at the ist place.The Saudi Aramco compound is not guarded by Saudi army or national guard.its always in the hands of US army.its impossible to breach the ARAMCO compounds.and later in the movie they showed the city of Riyadh where some hard core action took place.in reality Riyadh is one of the safest cities in the world like Denmark.In the capital city of KSA weapons smuggling is impossible.and terrorist never breed in the capital city as here security is so tight.any way they showed that the Saudi army is so stubborn.well in reality they are.sorry i was comparing this movie with reality issues...if you not bin to KSA and don't know about Muslim people and you see this movie.its gonna be a bad impression on peaceful Muslims.in last don't watch this movie on religious basis...just watch it like another action thriller.
War on terror in a potboiler
posted on 28 Aug 2009War on terror is right now not a hot topic for the average movie goers. Movies based on this current affair event are falling left, right and centre. They are unable to capture viewers imagination (as the issue is tragically associated closer to home in there lives). None of recent post 9/11 movies worked any wonders at the box office. Hence there is no profit in making audience to think too much while watching the movies. Hence Hollywood presents 'THE KINGDOM'. Its tries to be everything those promos of syriana showed us it would be but never became.The kingdom tells the story of a fictional terrorist attack on a high security U.S residential colony in Saudi Arabia, due to which an assembled team of F.B.I agents are sent in Riyadh to investigate the incident. The story is told with black and white characters, with American investigation team very ably playing the good guys along with there few Saudi counterparts helping them in investigation by sidestepping through diplomatic protocols which are strictly instructed to be followed b7 the Saudi prince and the lousy U.S ambassador(the scared government jerk). The bad guys off course are the terrorists and Islamic extremists who are typically jealous of the American way of life. These guys according to this movie are easy to detects (especially bomb makers), they are the one who do not have the first two fingers of there hand, a theory very lousily used to catch a certain terrorist kingpin (a.k.a bin laden) in the movie. The movie's length is just less than two hours but still feels quite a drag with lot of buildup towards the ultimate sequences, but still it is a visually gripping movie. As mentioned earlier there is not much to dwell into much in the movie, but the director does there try to subtly slid in a message at the end of the movie which he kind of accomplishes quite well.But with all its loopholes due to the directors balancing act between a serious movie and an entertaining action movie, the movie does'nt disappoint and is a very good potboiler entertainer spiced up with some current affairs topic.You may just enjoy it on DVD.I know I did.
Much more that a shoot-em'-up, but not for the faint of heart
posted on 26 Aug 2009I went into this movie hoping it wouldn't be a cheap shot at either the US Government or the people in the Middle East and I wasn't disappointed. The introduction that outlines the history between Saudi Arabia and the United States alone proves as much: no matter how intense that action was (and it was very much so), the movie itself was a fairly level-headed look at the current situation. You are drawn into the action from the very beginning, but from there it does not sink into an FBI team shooting up Saudis. There is actually an INVESTIGATION, with political interests in the background all the while. An excellent action movie with more than a little thought put into it, but not for the faint of heart.
Ever been to Terrell, Texas?
posted on 22 Aug 2009Greetings again from the darkness. If I were only allowed four words ... Interesting story, horribly filmed. The story of the terrorists and the senseless violence immediately instilled a desire for revenge in me. Although I am still not sure if the writer and director had a political agenda, my guess is they were trying to show that terrorists are not supported by the people or the government of Saudi Arabia.A pretty solid cast led by Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper, with Jason Bateman around for some comic relief. Jennifer Garner looks the part, but is pretty miscast as the weepy, yet tough gal dropped into a world that doesn't exactly respect the features of Ben's babe. In support are Richard Jenkins, Jeremy Piven, Kyle Chandler, Frances Fisher and the always interesting Danny Huston. In the film's best turn, Ashraf Barham plays the Saudi good cop who buddies up with Foxx. Had the feeling that most of the others just floated through their roles knowing full well that the big explosions and massive fireworks were the real star.Director Peter Berg ("Friday Night Lights") goes way overboard with the hand-held cameras and quick edits to simulate hyper-action. Also, there were so many close-ups, eye balls often took up half the screen. Too bad, Mr. Berg didn't realize the special effects and strutting of Mr. Foxx could have carried the film. Not at the level of "Syriana" but worth watching.
A powerful, informative drama that sheds new light on the Middle East turmoil
posted on 14 Aug 2009The Kingdom, A powerful, informative drama that sheds new light on the Middle East turmoil. It helps viewers understand the history of Middle East relationships and the economic reason behind the wars. How conflicting ideologies produce diametrically opposed passions. The movie shows the pain and suffering of many innocence victims as the purists pursue their ideals with ruthless dedication and destruction. Yes this film will touch nerves. It will shed new light on the inner workings of Middle East negotiations. Jamie Fox and Jennifer Garner gave Oscar worthy performances. The movie's portrayal of conflicts and tension is so awesome, it got to be view more than once. JCM. Rate A+
Entertaining
posted on 08 Aug 2009Terrorists attack a special International compound particularly for the families of American personal employed in Saudi Arabia. A machine gun attack combined with a enormous bomb inflict huge casualties. The Saudi Authorities are not keen to investigate the matter too thoroughly which is totally ridiculous. They are also not to enthusiastic about the American Government wanting its FBI to investigate the incident but hesitantly bow to limited investigations. In real life this would constitute a major breach of relations with the United States and the Saudi's would not do that. On the other hand the Americans would not send a women to assist with leading the investigations in Saudi Arabia or any other Muslim country as this would represent another breach of diplomatic relations. The would not send an African American FBI investigator to lead the team either as the Saudis would not like that. Realizing immediately that the film is implausible its an action packed drama and entertaining. Jamie Fox also acquits himself in the role as an FBI investigator and Jennifer Garner's masculinity also makes her more plausible in this investigator role. American films set in the Middle East generally fail these days unless they are really Anti-American or just superficial action dramas.
The kingdom
posted on 29 Jul 2009Well i literally just got back from viewing this film and i must say i am very impressed. I have read a few comments saying it is just another pro American anti terrorism movie. Well let me start with i am not an American i do not support the war on terror yet i obviously do not support terrorism. In todays day and age we all must come to terms with the reality that we are not safe, their are people who hate us and their are people who want to kill us. In the kingdom four U.S. government agents are sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East. They soon realize that it is very different from what they are used to and they are very much in danger. The film deals with the situation we are living in today and it has an ending that you will be thinking about for a very long time. Over all a great film one of the best i have seen in a long time a must see.
My Kingdom for a (war)horse
posted on 27 Jul 2009If LIONS FOR LAMBS was the cerebral, intelligent take on the Iraq War, THE KINGDOM is the action-packed, crap-your-pants rejoinder - both written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (who should probably be investigated by the CIA for all the inside information he brings to these military stories).Peter Berg starred in LIONS as a strong, sure military hand; in KINGDOM, he directs with same. Shot in Abu Dhabi and Arizona, despite appearances, THE KINGDOM is not an anti-war tirade, more like CSI: SAUDI, as four American military personnel defy paperwork and fly into Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to investigate a bomb attack on an American civilian base.KINGDOM opens with a grand historical overview of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom, giving us far-removed First-Worlders much-needed background as to why Middle Easterners are so stridently angered at American involvement in their holy/lucrative land.From this expansive scope, the story suddenly narrows to the provincial point of view of the four Americans (big surprise!) who must navigate their own American bureaucracy and Saudi cultural politics to get to the bottom of the bombing mystery.Jamie Foxx leads the Amurrican cowboy charge, Chris Cooper riding shotgun; with Jason Bateman completely miscast but milking every minute of his role as bureaucrat fluff; Jennifer Garner, the token military female who imagines she has a dick.Their Arab police liaison is Colonel Faris (Ashraf Barhom), a more natural actor than the trained Americans and probably the most likable character for it.After the bombing, American audiences are treated to scenes of Arab-on-Arab torture. An Arab policeman at the American base (a friend of Faris) is being tortured by an Arab security agency. Though this policeman decisively killed some drive-by terrorists after the bombing, the security agency is feeling the sting of its own failure in protecting the American base and is taking out its frustrations on the Arab policeman, accusing HIM of being one of the terrorists - on the evidence of a sweaty shirt.It's a sad, frustrating scene, and though it dramatically illustrates how deviously terrorist attacks affect our paranoia, for dullard American audiences (who have proved they don't "get" the point of military films) it's lesbian porn for rednecks.Speaking of lesbian porn, I don't buy Jennifer Garner as a soldier. I just don't. She's fit and dyke-tough and soldier-trained an' all, but body armor and breast-augs just don't mesh. Maybe it's just me.As we're heading home, suddenly, Jason Bateman is kidnapped by Saudis. The movie might have elevated its intensity at this point had the Saudis decapitated or de-limbed Bateman, as they do to every prisoner without thought - if the prisoner is Arab. But because it's Jason Bateman, well... we can't kill the whiteboy when there's a perfectly healthy Arab character (Faris) whom American audiences won't identify with, but who we've set up as a sympathetic, intelligent, principled family man who hates torture and wants peace in his country blah blah - now he gets to be Crew Member #5 in STAR TREK who beams down to a planet with the principle cast, wearing a different color tittie-shirt - and we KNOW what happens to those guys...Might as well break out the lesbian porn.
not bad but not excellent
posted on 25 Jul 2009the kingdom is the the story of Americans living and working in a secure American compound in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are out enjoying themselves playing baseball when suddenly terrorists breach the compound and begin shooting .And now a team of 5 American must team up white police of the kingdom to spot this menace......................the kingdom was OK it Had some entertaining scenes Jenifer garner was pretty good in her role as always she really is an actress that pusses her self on all her movie and her other co actor such as Chris Cooper and Jamie Foxx were not bad as well and good performance by Ashraf Barhom which Had a very important role in the movie the punch was actually unexpected and that what was good about the movie.now the bad the story was pretty bad and the fact that this is again a movie that is political in every sense of the way just the fact it talks about oil . it has a lot of long scenes for nothing and and missing character development like and example it is team of 5 and you only get one character developments which is the character of Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) and that is it the other you don't now nothing about theme and you cannot care about theme wen the end come .now that what i mean when character developments is missing it would of bin better whit more development in the movie. in the movie and the camera styles that the director tries to give is very bad he tries to make you feel like your there and he failed badly and not only that he tries to copy tony scoot whit a lot of the montage scenes that you cannot understand the action of the movie . he also Trise to copy Michael man whit the style of how the camera moves in the movie and i cannot tell you how he fails on that one.other than that the film is a OK popcorn movie to rent not to see in theater.don't pay your tent dollars on that one .
Awesome Movie
posted on 15 Jul 2009I just saw this movie last night. I have to say it was excellent! The story well written and the sets so well done that you really have the feel you are in Saudi Arabia. I would love to see this movie again the acting was stellar. Here comes the but.... but when is Hollywood going to learn that the constantly moving camera is not fun! You can't focus on the movie and it gave me motion sickness. I also feel like I missed half the movie because of blurred shots and having to look away to re-focus. I would highly recommend this movie, if you don't mind a camera that looks like its placed on top a bunch of marbles. The hard questions and the raw emotions that we all feel when it comes to terrorist attacks are brought up in this movie. The script really isn't afraid to offend and shows how politics is a game that must be played both in the U.S. and other countries. By the end of the movie half the room was cheering!
Far above any level of mediocraty
posted on 13 Jul 2009First of, let me point out that i'm a huge fan of Jamie Foxx, and Chris Cooper, but that did not make my opinion of this movie biased. I went into this movie after hearing poor to mediocre reviews of this movie from all of the local papers and the Tennessean (Somewhat of a larger paper). My entire life, I have agreed with almost every review that has been provided by their writers, but now, I must say that I am quite disappointed with their reviews of this film. It starts off at a fast pace, and then slows down, yet keeps a consistently high intensity level within the relationship of the men keeping the Americans, and the men themselves. Many people said that Peter Berg was trying to make this a very political movie, but as I watched I realized that he made it to be more suspenseful and trying to show the situations faced by many people in the middle east, including our own people. He did not make this movie to be political, no, he made it to be a strong suspenseful and tension portraying film, with bits of political thought mixed in for good measure. The middle of the movie, as I have said, was pretty slow, but doors began opening and the viewer was able to get a picture of the outcome, and then, the most amazing thirty minutes of action I have ever seen coming out of a film that followed a steady, and not so fast pace throughout its previous running time. This blast of action may leave some upset that it was not needed in that film, or that the violence was stupid, but not only was the fighting an adrenaline boost for the audience, but it was a terrific way of leading up to a surprising and somewhat meaningful ending. In conclusion, this movie did have faults, no movie doesn't, but it's a quality film that is far above the level of mediocrity that it has been given. See it, have fun, and love it.
Stunning - deep film, great performances, left an impression on me.
posted on 11 Jul 2009What a great piece of cinema. Is it a great actioner? A gripping story with real characters? A gritty political drama? It's all of the above. It has all the marks of a great film in my book. Although the material is quite tough and political, I was never bored. It is continually engaging, and the performances are edgy and look natural. It looks like they don't know they're being filmed. I came out the cinema in a bit of a daze - and it's still on my mind the following day.It has that gritty and edgy semi-documentary shaky-cam fly-on-the-wall style that is becoming quite popular e.g. in Die Hard 4 and Bourne Ultimatum. The action sequences are excellently done, though I wouldn't say I always "enjoyed" them (as I might have in the highly stylised "300") as they often graphically portray the loss of life, but they are important for the story.The film has great depth. Underneath it all is a really profound political message, and a powerful story about the alliance of two nations and you can really sense it throughout the film. It tackles tough material without apology or without sparing the audience.I did not feel I was being asked to take sides - in that sense I wasn't aware of any of the all-too common "we are the good guys" political propaganda (which is jarring and crass in films like "Independence Day"), but rather the filmmakers seemed to want us to see the good and the ugly in both camps e.g. (1) Both sides wish to eliminate the other and will take lives to do so. (2) Both the Americans and the Saudi colonel want to bring the killer the justice. (3) Both the Jamie Foxx character and the Saudi colonel are portrayed as family men who want the world to be safe place for their kids (4) From an initial place of mutual aggression and mistrust, the two lead characters come to a place of mutual understanding and friendship (5) The exchange right at the end - where someone in both American and Saudi communities asks "what did you whisper" is stunning. ... Really, we aren't that different behind our nationalities and our allegiances, are we?The real star of the show is Ashraf Barhoum, the Saudi colonel - he has a lot of screen presence. Why hasn't he been in more films? He was quite outstanding - I hope he gets loads of offers on the back of this - I'd like to see what else he can do.He does overshadow Jamie Foxx, who has a lot of screen nous of a more subtle kind, but he looks a little subdued in this picture, or perhaps miscast?If you are easily upset by violence or like fluffy endings, maybe best not to see it, but if you like to be challenged, informed, and drawn into a story with 3D characters, and be made to think, then this is one to watch.
It could speak even without words.
posted on 23 Jun 2009Maybe a less maddened camera motion would have helped this movie (especially with the audience), but chaos is its distinction. If Berg wanted to maze you, he manages to do it very well. The movie has its nerve in the goriest scene, where the sense of inane for the absurdity of violence is so touchable, that 1 million of words couldn't deliver the message better. Even people pro-war will be brought to rethink about it and that's a lot more useful than a movie, that is expressly against the war. This movie could speak even without words and it's sadly rare today. Go and watch it.Sorry for my awful English, but I hope you'll understand what I mean, anyway.Ele from ITA.
It's a good movie
posted on 21 Jun 2009The Kingdom is not a memorable movie but,at least,it is entertaining.First of all,let's see the negative points.Jamie Foxx is an excellent actor (he showed that on films like Ray and Any Given Sunday) but he was not appropriate for his role on this movie.I mean,he just does not totally fix on his character of a rebel guy with a lot of attitude.Also,some scenes were a little bit boring.On the positive sight we have the action scenes.There are not too much of them in this movie but they have a lot of impact and realism (specially,the one near the ending).Besides,the film brings some good messages.The Kingdom is not an excellent movie but it could keep me entertained,except for some scenes.
Hollywood in Saudi Arabia....not that bad.
posted on 19 Jun 2009I'm usually very tentative going into action films with All-Star Hollywood casts. But after a decently go-to guy I know recommended it, actually giving it a 10, I decided why not. Well, the rec turned out to be a good one, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Though it's not a masterpiece and no way near a perfect 10.The story revolves around a team of special agents trying to figure out who was in charge of killing one of their own. They end up in deep trouble in deep Saudia Arabia, where you really don't know who to trust and where violence seems to be the only answer to settle confrontations. That is one message this movie delivers very well, our world seriously butts heads on many issues, and any type of peaceful resolution seems almost impossible. God oh God, when are Aliens gonna come down and say "Hello". That'll most likely put a stop to some of this "bickering". Anyways, like I said, a team of special agents are in Saudi Arabia investigating the situation. Obviously fireworks do eventually occur, but the real story focuses around differences in culture rather than blind-fire shoot-outs. Which I wasn't truly aware of. I was expecting lots and lots of action, and besides one big one at the end and a couple tiny ones, it's mostly just Hollywood stars getting dusty and acting serious. Which didn't do much for me. It's not a fantastically well-written script, but I suppose it does the trick. Since it was a pretty entertaining movie.The Kingdom is a pretty good film with good performances and a message that's delivered strongly. It just never felt that "real" to me. From Jamie Foxx to Gardner, it's actually pretty difficult to suspend beliefs. Though overall, the film was entertaining enough, and when the action came, that was also nice to watch. 7.5 outta 10
The War on Terror becomes personal
posted on 17 Jun 2009The War on Terror has become a political hot button that everyone wants to push but no one can agree on how to act upon. Hollywood has tried several different routes to portray this conflict and The Kingdom is the latest attempt to not only entertain but also inform otherwise supposedly ignorant Americans about the dangers and threats this war poses. The Kingdom could have been another socio-political thriller much as Syriana but instead focuses on an action movie storyline to drive it's plot. While The Kingdom could easily be dismissed as another mindless action film, one might be surprised that there is a real plot with real character development within it.An American compound in Saudi Arabia is attacked during the middle of the day during a soft ball game and if two gunmen and a suicide bomber weren't enough, a bomb hidden in one of the responding ambulance kills even more Americans along with Saudis. Thus begins The Kingdom which attempts to portray how America may or may not respond to a very real situation that could exist.Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx), is an FBI agent who soon discovers that a close friend was killed during the final stage of the attack on the American compound. The death of his friend and fellow agent forces him to confront the US and Saudi governments over their apparent lack of interest in sending in an American team to directly investigate the attack. The US government fears that an American team would prove a target the terrorists wouldn't want to miss while the Saudis are fearful of relying too much on the Americans to capture one of their own who was discovered to be behind the attack.However, Fleury's determination eventually gives him and his team a few days chance to travel to Saudi Arabia and to investigate what actually happened. Joining Fleury are Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Adam Leavitt(Jason Bateman) and a Saudi police officer Colonel Al-Ghazi. Almost immediately, however, Fleury and his team discover they are operating not only on Saudi rules but also biases. Not only does this limit their investigation but it also forces them to question whether or not they can really solve this case. American witnesses to the attack and the US ambassador himself are not too helpful except to show that, once more, Fleury and the others are operating on a whole different playing field.Pressure by Fleury on one of the Saudi royal princes gives him the ability to at least investigate a bit closer then previously allowed. It is this opening, along with the eventual help from Ghazi who Fleury slowly builds a close working relationship with, that gives them the lead they were looking for. However, after a quick raid which turns out to be a false lead and let's down Fleury's guard down, the real terrorists behind the attack on the American compound become known and soon the sound heard above the sands of Saudi Arabia isn't just cars, camels and oil wells but bullets and grenade explosions. And when Adam is kidnapped Fleury, Grant, and Janet, must take the ultimate risk in order to save their friend's life before he becomes another casualty of terror.The strengths of The Kingdom are not only from the well created attacks and gun battles, but the characters themselves. Fleury, Sykes, Mayes, and Leavitt are portrayed as real people (well, as real as a movie like this can create them) who one can feel for. They are not just out to shoot whoever crosses their way and Fleury's relationship with Ghazi, who is also a family man with young son much like the American, shows that there is an attempt to create a thinking plot for The Kingdom. There is also a small amount of humor directed towards the usual cultural clash that occurs when Americans, and especially strong willed women such as Janet Mayes, travel to foreign countries that see things very differently on almost all levels.The Kingdom may not really explain the roots of the War on Terror or a way to conclude it besides killing terrorists. However it does succeed in telling a good story even if one may have to suspend reality and ignore the fact that an American team shooting up a dozen Saudis on Saudi Arabian soil would only drive more Saudi anger towards the US. Then again, are present American and Western actions on Arab and Muslim soil so much different? 8/10
One of those movies which make you stop watching
posted on 09 Jun 2009I've seen the trailer of this movie, and that made me watch it. It seems that nowadays the trailer of a movie shows the best part of the movie, and when you really watch the entire movie it is crap. This surely is true for this one. Although it starts out pretty good. In Saudi Arabia, terrorist bomb American employees. Many are killed. This was the best part of the movie, because it made you feel sorry for the victims, and you hope that the terrorists will have to pay for this. What comes after this is complete crap. The plot is what kills this movie. It is completely unbelievable. The FBI wants to investigate the bombing. Why is not clear. Although the US government does not want to send Americans to Saudi Arabia, this is made perfectly clear, 4 FBI agents still manage to do it, it seems there is no law for them. As soon as they arrive in S.A. they treat the Arabs like idiots. The insult them, they do not obey their instructions, they run the show. To insult them even more, on of the FBI agents is a woman. In the Arab world that is not normal. If you know that, why do such a thing. Probably to dislike those Arab fools a little bit more. And then the thing that made me quit watching this 'movie'. The FBI agents are completely indestructible. You can hit them with fists several times, and you see no bruises at all. You watch them survives bomb attacks and shattering glass, without a blood stain. The Arabs are worse than Imperial Storm Troopers, because the can't even hit them with a single bullet, grenades or RPG's! While The FBI people just have to look at them, and they drop like flies... After watching *that* part of the movie, I gave up, and didn't wait until the end of it. Afterwards I learned from a friend that where trained Arab veterans failed, a 17 year old kid managed to shoot an agent..! It made me feel good about not waiting until the end. To bad one can not give a movie null stars. This movie deserved it. Terrorism, Americans, Arabs, Royalty, Oil, Guns, this movie had so much potential but somehow they managed to finish it off. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
"The Kingdom" delivers action, charisma, and closure.
posted on 05 Jun 2009Hollywood filmmakers don't often advocate solutions to the problems involving American foreign policy. Typically, these masters of illusion set out to do nothing more than entertain audiences. "Friday Night Lights" director Peter Berg and first-time scenarist Matthew Michael Carnahan have taken exception to that standard in their new political action mystery-thriller "The Kingdom" starring Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper as well as Jennifer Garner as heroic FBI agents. Berg and Carnahan aren't content to evoke our worst fears about what could happen to innocent Americans abroad in Saudi Arabia. They go even further by suggesting a solution to the problem that Arab terrorists pose—annihilation. Indeed, the only way to halt cowardly attacks on Americans is to kill off with extreme prejudice every last Arab terrorist who hates Uncle Sam. Meanwhile, projecting their worst fears with our own worst fears, Berg and Carnahan argue that Arab terrorists share our sentiments. Accordingly,the only way to prevent America from diluting, polluting, and appropriating their sacred culture is to annihilate Americans. "The Kingdom" would qualify as just another polished, professional, police procedural, crime scene investigative melodrama set in the Middle East were it not for the opinions the filmmakers put in the mouth of the lead FBI agent on the case as well as a dying Arab bomb maker to his young son. The message of this R-rated, Universal Pictures' release is that neither side in this war between the U.S. and Islamic fundamentalist factions will tolerate nothing short of annihilation of their opponents."The Kingdom" refers to Saudi Arabia, and the filmmakers provide a simple but concise history of the oily relationship between Saudis and Uncle Sam from the discovery of black gold beneath the desert sands in the 1930s to September 11, 2001. As the film unfolds, two jihadists impersonate Saudi security personnel, shoot two of them dead in the head, and then invade a fenced-in oil company compound in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. These two fanatics go on a murderous rampage, interrupting a quiet afternoon baseball game, and slaying scores of innocent Americans. Saudi Security Sergeant Haytham (Ali Suliman of "Paradise Now") pursues the two impostors and kills them. Meanwhile, another terrorist sneaks in, praises Allah, and then blows himself up. The catastrophic explosion wipes out hundreds, and hundreds more lie wounded. The compound resembles the destroyed Marine barracks in Lebanon back in the 1980s during the Reagan era. A couple of FBI special agents also die, and the bad news rocks Washington. Moreover, it doesn't take long for loose cannon FBI special agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx of "Ray") to assemble an evidence response team including explosives expert Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper of "Money Train"), forensics examiner Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner of TV's "Alias") and intelligence analyst Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman of "Smokin' Aces"). One of Fleury's colleagues died in the suicide bombing, and he bucks Attorney General Gideon Young (Danny Huston of "The Aviator") and the State Department with the help of FBI chief James Grace (Richard Jenkins of "North Country") who outmaneuvers Young. Fleury also implies a threat to a local Saudi politician about freezing his country's funds. As a result, Fleury receives a green light to fly his team into the Kingdom. No sooner do Fleury and company land than they find themselves entangled in more political red tape. It seems that the Saudi elite who run the country are under fire from their countrymen who don't like their dealings with the decadent west and are like a powder keg waiting to detonate. At the same time, Saudi investigators are torturing Sergeant Haytham because they suspect that he may have been in cahoots with the gunmen and bomber. They're suspicious about his reasons for killing the two gunmen, and they find several additional uniforms in his locker. Colonel Faris Al Ghazi (newcomer Ashraf Barhom) comes to Haytham's rescue and clears him with his superiors. The sergeant justifies his stash of extra uniforms because he is obsessed about his personal appearance, because he perspires so much during the day that he changes uniforms on his tour of duty.Once Fleury and his experts arrive, Al Ghazi advises them that they cannot touch any evidence. Moreover, he refuses to let them go anywhere without an armed escort. Fleury fumes at this treatment. Eventually, he convinces an Arab shriek to let them sift through the evidence because that's what the FBI are good at and he promises the sheik that they will find the guilty parties. "The Kingdom" emerges as a C.S.I. episode set in Saudi Arabia. Leavitt finds a video of the explosion on the Internet, and the FBI track down where the plot originated. Fleury wins Al Ghazi's admiration and confidence, and the two begin to act like partners despite their cultural differences.Director Peter Berg, who handled the action sequences with style in the 2003 Rock adventure movie "The Rundown," proves that he is no slouch when it comes to staging a modest sized "Black Hawk Down" style urban gun battle. The last half-hour of "The Kingdom" ripples with white-knuckled B-movie action. The Arab terrorists abduct Leavitt during an audacious daylight attack on the speeding Saudi/FBI convoy on the freeway. Earlier, we were told that the convoy of black SUVs travels at NASCAR speeds down the highways in order to determine if anybody is tailing them. Anyway, the terrorists whisk Leavitt away to their inner city hideout where they intend to tape a throat slitting video along the lines of the recent incident involving journalist Daniel Pearl that inspired the Angelina Jolie movie "A Mighty Heart." Our heroes find themselves trapped in a maze of buildings shooting it out with hostile Arabs at every turn who wield everything from automatic weapons to grenade launchers."The Kingdom" covers roughly the same ground as the George Clooney/Matt Damon politically savvy thriller "Syriana" in 2005. Comparatively, "Syriana" proved far more realistic and depressing than "The Kingdom," but "The Kingdom" delivers much more action, charisma, and closure.
Gripping movie
posted on 03 Jun 2009This was a great movie about how an FBI team struggles to investigate a terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia with a frustrating political climate. I'm one of those who's been long de-sensitized to horror movies or violent action movies, so they usually don't phase me. But this one can leave you felling uneasy because it's rather close to reality. Here in the real world, Saudi Arabia is ruled by a reactionary Islamic regime that is tied to a 7th century-style "culture of the desert." It has been a breeding ground for a variety of reasons for Islamic terrorists, including most of the 9/11 hijackers. It would not be out of the realm of possibility for people in the Saudi government, including the police, to harbor sympathies for the terrorists and a hatred of the modern world, just like in the movie.
Decent film ruined by terrible direction!
posted on 30 Aug 2009This film could have pulled off a 7 or 8 out of ten, but Peter Berg has joined the ranks of sloppy, lazy filmmakers who tries to justify quick, sporadic cuts and shaky, hand-held camera-work as a "style". If you're a unskilled director who doesn't want to plan out your shots or bother to storyboard, just give you cameraman their cameras and tell them to keep moving and shooting. After all, if you're willing to edit quick enough cuts you can always "fix it in post".We're seeing more and more of this type of film-making and in every case, we see films that would have functioned better if better directed. From Paul Greengrass' "Bourne" sequels to "Blair Witch" we hear audiences regularly complain about the shoddy direction, but when was the last time you heard someone say "it would have been better with more confusing, shaky camera-work"?