The Kingdom (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American living facility in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Various diplomats tediously equate the terrorist attack, but FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) quickly assembles an elite team to head for the Middle East on a 5-day witch hunt to sniff out the madmen. The beginning of 'The Kingdom' (directed by Peter Berg) is frantic, the middle 'almost' falls into a cliche police procedural trap, but overall, the film has no weaknesses. And the last 20 min. of non-stop, engaging action (and a wallop-you-in-the-gut final sentiment) is unforgettable.
The film opens with some Americans playing baseball on a Saudi compound. Out of nowhere, bombs start going off & hundreds of multicultural people are dead. Counter-terrorism Agent Fluery & his team, Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman, providing comic relief), & Grant Sykes (the dependable Chris Cooper), hope to retaliate in some way. The worrisome, discreet US State Dept. (led by Danny Huston's character) say no. But the Saudi ambassador grants them 5 days in the desert, & the team gets the ok to depart for their 18 hr. flight to Hell, 'the kingdom'. After landing, they discover how unwelcomed they are by Saudi officials (for many reasons). Mainly, they don't want another disaster on their hands. They feel the bombing is a local issue, 'why are the Americans here'?
In any case, Fleury & co. have to earn their Saudi counterparts' trust in order to carry-out the detailed investigation that's necessary. Col. Al-Ghazi helps them search the bomb site, and eventually allows them to meet the Prince, search-out the area where the bombing was 'planned', & prevent the extremist(s) from killing more Americans & Saudi civilians. Thanks to complying Saudi military, & the police captain who guided them through every step of the 5-day stay, Faris (Ali Suliman), the plot unfolds in a terrifying, inevitable climax. After a team member is taken hostage & driven to a remote, unsafe part of the kingdom, our protagonists follow, & it's up to Faris & the rest of the team to save their hostage & take-out their enemy ... do-or-die style. Will justice prevail (for both sides)?
What is portrayed well here is how disorienting the exotic surroundings are for us Americans. We're drawn into their dark, mysterious world. The team/we don't know Saudi culture, gender issues, use of language (funny enough, Capt. Haytham isn't fond of American curse words), religion, death-defying landscapes, politics, common courtesies/decorum, etc. And it's interesting to see the evolution of American/Saudi relations over the decades. We needed their oil, they became rich; Modernity came about. Hence, traditional Muslim extremists hate us Americans for 'naturally' modernizing one of the oldest civilizations known to man. The movie does well to show us something that other films (of the same vein) don't always provide. Foxx is great as the vengeful, hot-shot agent with a heart. Cooper is strong, efficient & unpredictable as Sykes.
Jeremy Piven entertains as the American diplomat in Saudi Arabia. But it's Jennifer Garner who makes the audience ooh, ah, clap & cheer when she kicks some evil butt in a late scene.
I went into 'The Kingdom' with pre-conceived ideas that I wouldn't love it because I'm 'over' the political thrillers (I must have seen 20 of them in recent yrs.). But this one didn't insult me, at all (even with a pretentious pro-American slant). The plot unfolds formulaically, but the suspenseful action changes up the pace & enters at just the right time. Nothing is revelatory here; as it's less cutting edge as you'd think. There are moments of sadness (in the conclusion). Some of the camerawork is a tad shaky. But the stellar script, earnest acting, & slick execution of 'The Kingdom' (after a 40 min. cut from an original edit ... thank God) is just very good. If this is the precursor for the great line-up of fall movies to come, I can't wait to see what's next.
The film opens with some Americans playing baseball on a Saudi compound. Out of nowhere, bombs start going off & hundreds of multicultural people are dead. Counter-terrorism Agent Fluery & his team, Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman, providing comic relief), & Grant Sykes (the dependable Chris Cooper), hope to retaliate in some way. The worrisome, discreet US State Dept. (led by Danny Huston's character) say no. But the Saudi ambassador grants them 5 days in the desert, & the team gets the ok to depart for their 18 hr. flight to Hell, 'the kingdom'. After landing, they discover how unwelcomed they are by Saudi officials (for many reasons). Mainly, they don't want another disaster on their hands. They feel the bombing is a local issue, 'why are the Americans here'?
In any case, Fleury & co. have to earn their Saudi counterparts' trust in order to carry-out the detailed investigation that's necessary. Col. Al-Ghazi helps them search the bomb site, and eventually allows them to meet the Prince, search-out the area where the bombing was 'planned', & prevent the extremist(s) from killing more Americans & Saudi civilians. Thanks to complying Saudi military, & the police captain who guided them through every step of the 5-day stay, Faris (Ali Suliman), the plot unfolds in a terrifying, inevitable climax. After a team member is taken hostage & driven to a remote, unsafe part of the kingdom, our protagonists follow, & it's up to Faris & the rest of the team to save their hostage & take-out their enemy ... do-or-die style. Will justice prevail (for both sides)?
What is portrayed well here is how disorienting the exotic surroundings are for us Americans. We're drawn into their dark, mysterious world. The team/we don't know Saudi culture, gender issues, use of language (funny enough, Capt. Haytham isn't fond of American curse words), religion, death-defying landscapes, politics, common courtesies/decorum, etc. And it's interesting to see the evolution of American/Saudi relations over the decades. We needed their oil, they became rich; Modernity came about. Hence, traditional Muslim extremists hate us Americans for 'naturally' modernizing one of the oldest civilizations known to man. The movie does well to show us something that other films (of the same vein) don't always provide. Foxx is great as the vengeful, hot-shot agent with a heart. Cooper is strong, efficient & unpredictable as Sykes.
Jeremy Piven entertains as the American diplomat in Saudi Arabia. But it's Jennifer Garner who makes the audience ooh, ah, clap & cheer when she kicks some evil butt in a late scene.
I went into 'The Kingdom' with pre-conceived ideas that I wouldn't love it because I'm 'over' the political thrillers (I must have seen 20 of them in recent yrs.). But this one didn't insult me, at all (even with a pretentious pro-American slant). The plot unfolds formulaically, but the suspenseful action changes up the pace & enters at just the right time. Nothing is revelatory here; as it's less cutting edge as you'd think. There are moments of sadness (in the conclusion). Some of the camerawork is a tad shaky. But the stellar script, earnest acting, & slick execution of 'The Kingdom' (after a 40 min. cut from an original edit ... thank God) is just very good. If this is the precursor for the great line-up of fall movies to come, I can't wait to see what's next.