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The Kingdom (2007)

Director: Peter Berg

Time Out rating

Average user rating

23 reviews

Synopsis

When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a housing compound in Saudi Arabia, the FBI assembles an elite team to take part in a secret five-day expedition to locate the bomber. Initially hamstrung by protocol and uncooperative locals, they eventually gain the trust of a Saudi police captain and soon unlock the secrets of the crime scene and the workings of a terrorist cell hellbent on further death and destruction.

Movie review

From Time Out London

A terrifically stupid film, this Middle East-set actioner thinks it’s ‘Syriana’ but plays like ‘Black Hawk Down’. The drama begins with a car-bomb attack on a fortified compound in Saudi Arabia that’s populated by the employees of an American oil company. That tragedy causes the FBI to send in a four-person crack team – Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman – who act like violent outlaws to get the job done, defying the protestations of oily US diplomat Jeremy Piven (playing his character in ‘Entourage’). The film may offer a dig at the US government’s foreign policy, but this is in favour of a far more brutal, interventionist approach. And the attempt in the final scenes to balance out the pain and suggest that we’re all suffering equally on this planet – especially babies – would be laughable if it wasn’t so horribly cynical. At the preview screening I attended, there was a drunk middle-aged woman whooping every time an American kicked ass. Just imagine how the 15-year-olds in Ohio will react. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Author: Dave Calhoun 2007-10-01 17:14:11

Time Out London Issue 1937: October 3-9 2007

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User reviews of this film

Mark said...

Posted on Jul 06 2008 18:54 I thought it was a well paced film, with good action scenes, All my friends and I have enjoyed it a lot.

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harjio said...

Posted on Feb 03 2008 03:13 brownsugar...you sound like an air stewardess. keep up the good work

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Steve said...

Posted on Jan 28 2008 11:56 Total and utter garbage. When visiting another country as a guest of it's government you behave in a relevant manner. You don't break all protocols and generally disregard their faith and hospitality. For someone to have risen to a point in the FBI where they are on first name terms with the Attorney General without learning discretion, tact and manners is laughable.

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jerry ashar said...

Posted on Nov 14 2007 17:19 saudi arabia dose not allow to shoot a movie.then where was this movie shooted?

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ed said...

Posted on Oct 28 2007 13:31 this film was disappointing. after the thoughtful drama SYRIANA I was expecting more of the same. Instead we had an insult to our intelligent. It was pretty typical of what passes for an intelligent film from Hollywood these days... but the politics were lazy and also some of the action was hilarious... the bungled assasination attempt on Jason Bateman was very funny... "oh sheet, my camera is broken, oh no the angle is wrong!"... Only the conclusion "the whisper vs the words on a dying man's lips" spelt out this naive film's manifesto...
Jamie Foxx's teams entry into Saudi was also fudged... total rubbish... The action was OK... Foxx was mumbly and boring like in Miami Vice... Only the Saudi Police Sgt was worth a mention....
lazy film that's way bigger than it's boots

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Ingrid Mayegibo said...

Posted on Oct 28 2007 13:17 Great Movie. Deserves a better rating.

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Cpt Ralph said...

Posted on Oct 25 2007 18:39 Picked this out late in a field of lame runners in the Vue cinema starting gate on Wednesday, and it's an entertaining film, Well paced and contrary to all the trainee camermen who have revued it I thought the camera work emphasised the edgy nervy state you would be in in such a situation.
I thought that farf rom being patronising the scenes portraying the everyday life of the Saudis were believable and sensitively played out.

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Karl said...

Posted on Oct 22 2007 07:12 If U want to watch just a great action film and not expecting any politically challenging plot, then "Kingdom" is the best ever. U will understand how the terrorist work and see what can really happen... I am givin this film 6 stars

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Max said...

Posted on Oct 19 2007 20:20 I watched this with some friends on my War and Society course, we had a good laugh after the film about the fact that "Abu Hamza" was shot in the film. The real Abu Hamza is currently serving a prison sentence in the UK. This is an action film that tries to be a political, but fails badly. It's best for light-hearted entertainment, not artistic film-making.

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David said...

Posted on Oct 19 2007 15:50 amazing film one of the best this year!! camera work was outstanding but jamie foxx is just the perfect actor he cant possibly play any role bad

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Peter said...

Posted on Oct 18 2007 10:53 dreadful camera work, dreadful indictment of America's arrogance and its simplistic view of the world ... even if it is supposed to be entertainment - which it is not!

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darren said...

Posted on Oct 17 2007 11:50 if you have strong political views then maybe avoid this film, however, if, like me, your quite happy to watch a good action film with a contemporary plot then give it a go. The humour is good throughout and the fast paced action will keep u happy for 90 mins. Look to deep into the politics around the film and you wont enjoy.

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John Abruzzi said...

Posted on Oct 14 2007 23:29 Very good movie in my opinion. i wll recommend it to everyone.

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therealist said...

Posted on Oct 14 2007 16:19 This review is filled with anti-american bigotry. The reviewer even takes a jab at an audience member who is enjoying the film; for the apparent sake of infecting would-be movie viewers with his hatred. Just for his comments. This wasn't a film review it was a political statement. Therefore, I'm giving the movie six stars. Touche.

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Ralph Chipling said...

Posted on Oct 14 2007 16:18 Some good action sequences but the most irritating camerawork I've ever seen. Almost all handheld and never still for more than 3 secs. Spoilt the film for me.

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