The Kingdom
Shot with that Michael Mann-ish (serving as co-producer here) handheld style, the Go-America story follows the repercussions of a terrorist attack on a group of Western families at an American Oil Company in Saudi Arabia.
The local investigation, led by Col. Faris Al Ghazi (Barhom), is fated for a barrelful of frustrations. Back in Washington, FBI investigators - Foxx, Cooper and Garner - are itching to fly into the Saudi capital, and track down those responsible, but the officials, ceding to the sensitive Saudi royals, forbids it. But the maverick Americans go in anyway.
"Shouldn't terrorism be treated as crime - that is, as a civil rather than military matter? It's a question that's at the heart of the Iraq War debate, and it's one raised loudly and clearly by 'The Kingdom'." [Variety]
- Director:
- Peter Berg ('Welcome to the Jungle')
- Writer:
- Matthew Michael Carnahan
- Cast:
- Jamie FoxxJennifer GarnerJason BatemanAshraf BarhomChris CooperJeremy Piven
Reviews & comments
Variety
pressA realist thriller that mixes crowd-pleasing mayhem with provocative politics...
Hollywood Reporter
pressBerg's movie is no more than an action movie with an exotic backdrop. That would be fine, if only the movie were more exciting. It succeeds neither as a pointed political commentary nor as a taut thriller...
Rolling Stone
pressMatthew Michael Carnahan's caffeinated script isn't much concerned with balance, but it gets some anyway, from the resonant images of culture clash that Berg catches on the fly and a remarkable performance from Ashraf Barhom...
New Zealand Herald
pressNeedless to say, the politics are muddled, subjective and without much insight. If you're after a thought-provoking look into the complex relationship America has with the Middle East over oil, then you're better off renting Syriana. If you are after a gripping action film with an exotic backdrop, then The Kingdom will definitely keep you happy...
Newshub
pressMight be fine enough if all you're after is a bit of action, but don't go expecting much more than that...
Dominion Post
pressWill definitely do the business for the friday night crowd at the multiplex, but tries commendably hard not to insult your intelligence amidst the middle-East locales bullets and bombs...
Christchurch Press
pressWhile there's some effort to try explain where terrorism comes from, the movie is full of American arrogance and scrambled politics. It's CSI Syriana muddled with Rambo...
Variety
pressA realist thriller that mixes crowd-pleasing mayhem with provocative politics...
Hollywood Reporter
pressBerg's movie is no more than an action movie with an exotic backdrop. That would be fine, if only the movie were more exciting. It succeeds neither as a pointed political commentary nor as a taut thriller...
Rolling Stone
pressMatthew Michael Carnahan's caffeinated script isn't much concerned with balance, but it gets some anyway, from the resonant images of culture clash that Berg catches on the fly and a remarkable performance from Ashraf Barhom...
New Zealand Herald
pressNeedless to say, the politics are muddled, subjective and without much insight. If you're after a thought-provoking look into the complex relationship America has with the Middle East over oil, then you're better off renting Syriana. If you are after a gripping action film with an exotic backdrop, then The Kingdom will definitely keep you happy...
Newshub
pressMight be fine enough if all you're after is a bit of action, but don't go expecting much more than that...
Dominion Post
pressWill definitely do the business for the friday night crowd at the multiplex, but tries commendably hard not to insult your intelligence amidst the middle-East locales bullets and bombs...
Christchurch Press
pressWhile there's some effort to try explain where terrorism comes from, the movie is full of American arrogance and scrambled politics. It's CSI Syriana muddled with Rambo...
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