Writer: Matthew Michael Carnahan
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Piven
Rating: R
Studio: Universal Studios
Release Date: December 26, 2007

Political thrillers, especially during the time of war, are always a hot commodity. Of course, that does not mean all of them will be well received or executed. How much you like them will depend on your views on war and the way the war is presented in each specific movie. In the case of The Kingdom the thing that drew me immediately into the story was the cast. With a cast like Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner it is hard not to want to see this movie. When you add in the element of war it made me want to see the movie even more.

The thing that surprised me the most was my reaction to the movie as a whole. I expected to like the movie and I had a feeling the review I gave would be a good one. When I was finished watching the movie I just sat there processing what I had just watched. There was no question of whether I liked it. The question involved whether anyone, myself included, would learn from the powerful message that was offered in the film.

Release Information:
The Kingdom was directed by Peter Berg, who worked on such films as Friday Night Lights and Very Bad Things. The film debuted in theaters earlier in 2007 and was released on DVD on December 26, 2007. The DVD offers a variety of special features and a strong movie that is well worth watching. You can purchase The Kingdom at most local retailers, and online you can purchase it at Amazon for $17.99.

The The Kingdom Plot
The start of The Kingdom really gets you in the know about how American-Saudi relations are during the basis of the film. Things begin with a sect of Islamic terrorists blowing up living quarters that are located near an oil compound. Many people, both American and Saudi, are killed in this attack.

This sets the stage for The Kingdom as it is this main attack that convinces the Saudi government to allow a team of FBI agents to come into the country and examine the scene of the crime to try to stop the terrorists from striking a second time. The FBI is allowed to come into the country, though it is with extreme hesitation on the part of the Saudi government, who believe that the FBI will only make matters worse. However, with the large amount of American murders on their hands it is not like they have much of a choice.

The agents that are sent to Saudi include Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman), Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner), and Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx). In America, these successful agents have lives, families, and a purpose, but one plane ride leaves them struggling to understand the world that they are suddenly placed in. As they are out of their country, the agents are at the mercy of the Saudi government and the police, most of which do not see a need for them to be there in the first place.

While allies are hard to come by, one is found in the Saudi police force in Colonel Feris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhorn). The thing that separates Al Ghazi is that he wants to stop the killings just as much as the Americans do. That does not make their job any easier though as he is just one man on a force of many resistant officers.

The hunt is on for the terrorists and the longer the FBI is in town the better the chance is that the terrorists will make an example out of them, as well. The Kingdom works because it is thought provoking, psychological, and fast paced. For the most part, the movie is a political thriller that refuses to take a side. The goal of the movie is the story and the symbolism not what side of the political fence that you choose to sit on. Some will not like the idea that Muslims are terrorists, and while there are some painted negatively here, there are others that are not. The Kingdom highlights good and bad, much like life.

The performances in The Kingdom vary quite a bit. Foxx is amazing, as usual, in his role as the head of the group. Bateman is amusing, as the smart-ass FBI computer geek. Garner, while decent, never seems to have a distinct personality other than the carbon female. It makes her almost useless though I do hate to say that.

It would have served her and her part better had they offered her a more distinct personality rather than the tough chick with the emotional aspects of the everywoman. Barhorn was the actor I had the least experience with and was one of the most impressive performances. He was both dynamic and multi-faceted as a police officer torn between his country and what is right.

All in all, The Kingdom is an amazing action flick whether you choose to take the political and social message that goes with it. Ignoring what you believe, this movie is worth watching and offers an engaging story from start to finish.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
The Kingdom has a video format of 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Some artistic license was taken with various parts of the film, so don’t expect a strong, vivid look throughout. That being said, it’s important to be aware that the places that have a different detail level were done that way on purpose. Overall, the video is on or above par in comparison to what has been put out in recent months.

The sound quality is excellent. There usually isn’t much to complain about when it comes to Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. The sound comes through without issue and requires little volume attention once you have set the sound in the beginning of the movie.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
In this installment of a Universal Pictures DVD, special feature fanatics will not be terribly disappointed. There is a commentary with the director, nearly 15 minutes of deleted scenes, and quite a few featurettes. The featurettes that are available on the DVD include, “Character by Character: The Apartment Shootout”, “Constructing the Freeway Sequence”, “The History of the Kingdom”, and “Creating the Kingdom”. Each feature looks beautiful as they are all presented in anamorphic widescreen. Other standard options include chapter selection and trailers.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
The Kingdom comes highly recommended for lovers of action films and political thrillers. Fans of Jamie Foxx will not be disappointed. A better sense of character development would have made the movie better, but faults aside The Kingdom is as solid as it can be from start to finish. You should definitely check this one out.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: The Kingdom, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Saudi Arabia, Political Thriller, War, Statement, DVD Review, Universal, Home Entertainment

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