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| The Kingdom [2007] | ![The Kingdom [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51uQbhc7%2BLL._SL160_.jpg)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 33 reviews)
Sales Rank: 582
Category: DVD
Actors: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Piven
Director: Peter Berg
Publisher: Universal Pictures UK
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
Label: Universal Pictures UK
Format: Pal
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Media: DVD
Running Time: 106 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
EAN: 5050582529401
ASIN: B000Z63YOI
Release Date: January 28, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 28 more reviews...
 'Sitting bolt upright' viewing May 14, 2008
"The Kingdom" is a thrilling, tense, plausible (in this day and age), big-ticket production. Shot in terrific, credible settings (Arizona & Abu Dhabi locations) that are every bit as authentic as the country which it's portraying... Saudi Arabia. A few 'kid's matinee moments' of rather silly "A-Team" type dialogue/acting from supporting cast which the entry level 15 yr.olds would like. Apart from that it does, by and large, come across as though its authentic photo journalism.
 Action movie, and not much else. May 1, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The movie starts off well meaning, giving a "informative" bitesize history of Saudi Arabia for those people who do all their learning in front of the tv, and then setting the stall for the movie with a terrorist attack on a Western compound. Now, the movie should pick up pace from here, but instead practically flatlines for the next 45 minutes, not hitting any buttons at all, before it goes all Gerry Bruckheimer in the last 25 minutes with a set piece chase, shoot-em-up and predictable ending.
This isn't a movie you'll learn much from, but the cast do a good job and you may enjoy it if you just switch your brain off and volume up. If you're looking for a proper movie on relations between Middle East and the West, try Syriana.
Well meaning but absurd thriller April 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I found The Kingdom to be a curious film. Director Peter Berg sets the premise up nicely with a potted history of US and Saudi relations , revolving primarily around , big shock here , oil. He seems to be saying that America was as implicit in 9/11 through it's treatment of The Saudi's (The attacker were after all primarily Saudi's ) as anything else. He then gives us 90 minutes of mixed messages about who the bad guys really are -which to be fair is probably somewhere near the truth but does so with hugely entertaining but ridiculous action sequences. At the films rather bleak conclusion I was left wondering was he trying to make a serious political thriller or a big dumb ass action movie ? I'm still not sure though I would under duress opt for the latter.
The Kingdom begins with a devastating attack , including a massive bomb -blast, on a housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where American oil company employees and their families live. The Saudi government, after initially insisting that U.S. investigators stay out to avoid looking weak before the Saudi people, reluctantly allows a small team of FBI personnel into Riyadh, for a few days, and only if they promise to explicit follow instructions.
The FBI team is led by Ronald Fluery (Jamie Foxx), an experienced FBI commander and "CSI"-style detective, with medical doctor Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner) and investigators Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) and Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper) completing the squad. Their Saudi contact is Col. Al-Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), a military officer who is disgruntled at being saddled with babysitting the FBI. He's more than happy to follow his orders, which are to prevent the FBI from actually doing anything which might lead to them finding out who's behind the attack.
The middle third of the film drags somewhat as the team carry out painstaking forensic examinations of the bomb -site. This is primarily so we can see Al-Ghazi and Fleury attain mutual respect for each other and gradually the Saudi Col becomes more willing to help the Americans hunt the attackers , primarily their leader Abu Hamza(Where have I heard that name before?)We see that Al-Ghazi is a dedicated Muslim and a thoroughly decent family loving guy. We know where this is going.
The films last third is taken up with a technically brilliant , noisy but preposterous extended gun battle where the Americans and Al-Ghazi are lead to a terrorist stronghold after one of their number is kidnapped to be be-headed on camera. Despite overwhelming suerprior forces armed with RPG,s and grenades galore the Americans prevail , save their colleague , kill all the bad guys including the wiry Garner overcoming one roughly the size of Big Daddy.
If the film is trying to be even -handed that last sequence lets it down badly. Its, the usual vastly out-numbered US forces slaying all the villains we are used to seeing in films like Rambo or anything by Stephen Seagal. It's brilliantly done mind but still essentially Team America with real people....and Jamie Foxx who's too perfect to be a real person. It,s not helped greatly by having a token Arab good-guy -though to be fair there is another Saudi Sgt Haytham (Ali Suliman) who helps the Americans- and a couple of Machiavellian US officials-Danny Huston as Attorney General- for a bit of balance.
The Kingdom has it's heart in the right place but hasn't enough heart to make it a truly balanced political thriller. Terrorists are murdering scum - this film doesn't flinch from that but neither does it fully investigate why terrorists do what they do, and this could include problems in Saudi society as well as Al-Qaeda propaganda and rampant Extremism . Ultimately The Kingdom seems to be saying that this is a conflict no one can win. Until one side stops the violence and lets be honest it's not likely to be the terrorists , then it will go on and on. I don't have the answers and unfortunately this film does,nt really offer any either.
 TOP OF THE LINE FBI v.TERRORIST ACTION THRILLER April 21, 2008
The General Idea
The oil and politics of Saudi Arabia go back to the 1930s. Saudi Arabia becomes the world's #1 oil producer, the USA is the world's #1 oil consumer. Ergo, the interests and fate of the two are economically and politically entwined. It's that simple. But most people don't know, and don't care, and don't worry about gasoline - until the oil is cut off. First time, because OPEC know that they are sitting on a gold mine and want more money for it - mid-1970s. (Remember the WORLD recession then?) Or, until a late and unlamented ruler of Iraq decides to invade Kuwait - for its huge oil reserves of course, it floats on the stuff - and Iraqi recon parties go over the border into Saudi Arabia to boot. Then the whole world sits up and notices again - that was 1990. So the US has to respond (did you know that President Carter passed the legislation enshrining this in US foreign policy after the first crisis?), and then the Saudis prefer to fund Desert Storm (about $80 billion as I recall), and pay for half the US armed forces to be on their sand to enable them to kick Saddam out of Kuwait and also preserve the rule of the House of Saud. After that, certain fanatical terrorists want the corrupt foreigners out of Saudi Arabia and in particular all the Americans, and the bombs start to go off. Maybe even in a US workers' compound. Then there was 9/11 and Afghanistan. That brings us up to date for the film, set in "The Kingdom" of Saudi Arabia.
The Film
Based on a similar actual events, in this film suicide bombers take out a softball game taking place in a US compound. It is a layered attack. The FBI (James Foxx is perfect for the team leader) are responsible for onsite investigation, but it is impossible to get clearance to send in a rapid response forensic team. Well, doing it the clean and clear diplomatic way it would be impossible. So, the team do get there, and they do their stuff. But of course the terrorists are easily up to this and the counter-counter-action is tightplay all the way.
The director Peter Berg makes every person in this film human. FBI, Saudi princes, the Saudi police chief, the children, the wives, the retired and not-so-retired terrorist bombers. We hear real conversations, folks snap and bite and banter and plead like real people reacting to real time events and real antagonists. They look like they are really hurting and really panicking in a jam. Sometimes they do it by the book, sometimes they improvise, sometimes they cheat. You can't see the joins. The pace cracks along. The shoot-outs alone were worthy of the price of the cinema ticket, but the DVD totally holds up too. Not all action movies do hold up on DVD, but this is one that does.
The DVD bonus items: education, and behind the scenes
The start of the film has a rapid-fire sledgehammering headlines-history to fill in the background for those who don't really do news or history. But the DVD goes further. The very educational bonus `timeline' in the disc extras really does accurately thumbnail the main events from finding Saudi Arabian oil in 1933, and the positioning of the main players in the run-up to Osama bin Laden offering the king of Saudi Arabia the services of his army of bandits in Afghanistan to drive out the other errant Iraqi bandit in Kuwait. But in 1990 Saudi Arabia knew which side their bread is buttered, and chose Stormin' Norman instead of ObL. After the Iraqis run for home, ObL has to do something with his troopers, and so we all probably know enough about after that.
The producers care about accuracy, and they go the extra mile. This fits with the docu-drama feel of some of the film. There are no weak links. The Arabic conversation is 100% convincing and is sub-titled where it is all-Arabic.
The other good item worth a close look is the play-by-play of how you plan and shoot a full metal jacket freeway terrorist attack-and-hijack on a convoy of Saudi security vehicles. It has enough both for the film buffs and the casual watcher.
If you like to see shot-outs character by character there is a breakdown of the four shooters big finale too. Five stars all the way. Put Peter Berg on your hot directors list.
Comparison films
1. Syriana - avoid. Save money, buy a pizza or the next one instead.
2. Munich - the Israeli secret service track down the Palestinian terrorists who murdered the Israeli atheletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Justice, just not by the numbers. Way to go Spielberg, it makes up for Amistad.
Brave attempt April 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Despite criticisms levelled at this movie, it made me think and it made me uncomfortable. The massacre scene at the start was vivid and asks the 'question why would someone do this'... I don't think the movie answers this question.
In the end it degenerates into a shoot 'em up with the Americans as the heroes and the 'good' Saudis as their allies.
It's worth a watch and it is brave attempt at producing more than the usual America vs. the terrorists.
Islamic fundamentalism is a real threat to the current world order and the anti American, anti European bias very real. Whilst failing to address the underlying issues it does give a focus that is different from the usual gung-ho FBI/Action thriller.
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