After a massive terrorist attack on American nationals in Saudi Arabia, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx) leads an elite team of agents (Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) to find out who’s responsible. Their efforts are hindered by Colonel Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who by order of his superiors severely limits what the agents can see and do. Literally overnight, the agents are given free reign over their brief stay, and the action of The Kingdom begins.
The film’s opening is very graphic, and definitely beyond the scope of what some people will want to see. The “us-versus-them” mentality is in place within the first few minutes, and it doesn’t let go. Though some will slam the movie for this lone purpose, they’ll need to take a step back and realize that this movie doesn’t need to convey a larger message of hope, nor does it need to bow in front of the PC gods. It’s an action movie, and action movies survive without sensible plots or realistic characters.
Most of the film is shot with handheld cameras, and while this can add a sense of realism and tension, it often winds up looking like Daddy’s tape of your first tee-ball game. The editing is even more disorienting. At times, the movie appears to have been put together by two editors who have hated each other since childhood. The movie’s title sequence may be shallow on the surface, but it leaves you well prepared for the governmental chit-chat that makes up a large portion of the film.
The writers didn’t put much thought into how such a politically charged film could be so implausible, but luckily they didn’t expect the viewers to think too hard, either. Jennifer Garner certainly has her share of action experience, but there’s something about her clutching a submachine gun that’s a bit unconvincing.
The Kingdom is probably what Syriana would have been if it was directed by Michael Bay, but all Michael Bay criticism aside, it’s a passable substitute for George Clooney haters. A little disorienting, entirely nonsensical, but hey, this is a Jamie Foxx movie. Things blow up, and the dialogue holds up long enough from explosion to explosion.
-Steven Berger
