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Bookmark this pageThe Kingdom (2007)
Director: Peter Berg
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
Time Out London Issue 1937: October 3-9 2007
User reviews of this film
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- John said...
- Posted on Oct 13 2007 21:41 Fascist propaganda. The US is the innocent victim of evildoers, and the answer is to ignore the rules and kick ass. Dismal 'filming by numbers' apart from the performance by the Saudi police colonel and some nice car crashes.
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- brownsugarbaby said...
- Posted on Oct 13 2007 11:36 I went and I totaly loved it ( for a girl) loads of action, found some of the camera angles a bit strange, but suppose it was shot as if you were really ment to be there!! It brings it all back to you how the terrorist work, and their strong believes. I work for an airline so the thought is never far from mind of what could actually happen., The final statement hits home as well !!!
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- Jonny B said...
- Posted on Oct 10 2007 17:50 It certainly wasnt equally portrayed, nor was it the flick of the year, but come on, get off your high horse! You cannot possibly tell me you were expecting a politically challenging plot or original use of action. The trailer itself was crying out 'Western propaganda'. Taking it for what it is I will rate it 4/6 stars. It entertained me (3 stars) and the closing statement echos a certain truth to it (bonus star)
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- Sexy Cool said...
- Posted on Oct 10 2007 17:04 Top Notch Shootouts. And a story in there somewhere. But as usual america always wins. I`ve Rated this time! 3 Rules!
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- Sexy Cool said...
- Posted on Oct 10 2007 17:01 Top Notch Shootouts. And a story in there somewhere. But as usual america always wins.
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- jose said...
- Posted on Oct 07 2007 17:46 as an action film, it's very good. the shootouts were some of the best i've seen lately. it's final statement was also very interesting and actually very true.
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- Solange said...
- Posted on Oct 06 2007 20:25 I thought the movie was a good action movie. Maybe the middle aged woman wasn't celebrating the attacks, maybe she was just annoyed that you were taking notes during the movie.
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- carol said...
- Posted on Oct 06 2007 00:49 just home from cinema i can not understand who thought it would be a good idea to film using first person camera it is realy anoying feels as if ive been to a home moovie very poor
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Cast & crew
Director: Peter Berg
Producer: Michael Mann, Peter Berg, Scott Stuber
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Chris Cooper, Jeremy Piven, Danny Huston, Richard Jenkins full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure, Thrillers, Drama
Rated: 15
Duration: 110 mins
UK Release: Oct 5 2007
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