Reviewed by
lgrim67 on Fri January 25, 2008
“The Kingdom” is an action-thriller starring Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner among some other heavy-hitting actors. This polished production gets nine-points-out-of-ten from me—it is high-octane entertainment.
Chris Cooper and Jeremy Pivens give it authenticity, while Jason Bateman provides comic relief. All actors deliver—Ashram Barhoum and Ali Suliman as Saudis as well as Garner and Foxx.
My only complaints are of some over-dramatics ala “Crash” and a few too many explosions. Movies don’t need to be loud to make a point. Foxx and Garner together light up any screen, and good writing seals the deal.
The plot was hard-to-follow at points, but this kept me interested. The basic plot is four FBI agents investigate a terrorist attack on an American compound in Saudi-Arabia. There is plenty of ethnic tension, political wrangling, and combat along the way to complement the family stories and good humor. Parts of the story seem muddled, but the messages get through ultimately. Perhaps it is just a portrayal of the confusion that seems to rule on the ground in troubled regions.
Chris Cooper is the ultimate Hollywood Fed—great casting. You might remember him from the “Bourne” films. He is the paternal figure in the crew and quite up to the task. Jamie Foxx is versatile; he proves again to be a complete package. He can be tough and tender. The same is true for Jennifer Garner. She appears confident, capable and beautiful. Jeremy Pivens plays a diplomat well, and Jason Bateman excels here too.
This movie is another production from Michael Mann (Miami Vice, Heat). As usual, there is plenty of attention to detail. I think this is a step up from Vice, but not as good as “Heat”. “Heat” really is a perfect action-drama. “The Kingdom” does have most of the strengths that Heat does.
This movie is entertaining and thoughtful. At first I felt it was too political, but you have to get a plot from somewhere. The message it leaves you with is simple—fight when you have to but not at the expense of your humanity. Are you really that different than the “enemy”?
