65 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 15 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
Life Arts   

Movie Review: The Kingdom

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   1 comment
Message Joel Hirschhorn
Become a Fan
  (20 fans)

At your first opportunity go see The Kingdom.

 

Every once in awhile I see a film that seems perfect in every cinematic respect.  The Kingdom is such a film.  It has accomplished the nearly impossible.  It is superbly entertaining as an action and suspense film.  And it works as a movie with multiple contemporary messages about the conflict between the Western and Arab worlds and the war on terrorism.

 The Kingdom has a terrific cast, even in relatively minor roles.  At the top are Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner as three members of a four-person FBI team sent to Saudi Arabia to investigate a major terrorist attack on a community housing American workers that has killed many of them.  All the film’s actors are at the top of their game, which shows the talent of the director, Peter Berg.  Ashraf Barhom, who plays the Saudi police colonel – first an antagonist and finally a friend to the Foxx character – does a remarkable job. 

The visual aspects of the film are beyond incredible.  You definitely believe that you are seeing the real Saudi Arabia.  That’s because much of the film was shot in Abu Dhabi of the United Arab Emirates.  When it comes to the action aspects of the film, if you watch it in a good theater with a large screen and a great sound system, as I did, you will almost be blown out of your seat and find yourself cringing with white knuckles.  Car chase and crash scenes are the best I have seen – period.  If you have never been in a terrible automobile accident, this film will give you the experience.

 

When it comes to the extensive scenes involving a whole lot of shooting between the good guys – the FBI team members and some Saudi police – versus the Saudi insurgent terrorists, here too you will experience the blood and gore and incredible tension and loud noise of a real gun battle in close quarters.  Some may think these scenes are excessive.  I did not.  They are brilliantly designed and directed to communicate the visceral feel of moment-to-moment gun battles where those involved fear the worst in the next micro-second for good reason.  The suspense is ramped up and stays in the red zone for what seems eternity.  Will the captured FBI agent be rescued before the incredibly brutal terrorists chop his head off?  Trust me: you will be guessing until the final moment arrives.  When Garner finally kills one of the top terrorists in one of the best fight scenes every filmed the audience burst out into wild applause, and for good reason – it felt like we all were fighting the bad guy.

 

What transforms this film from an excellent action/suspense flick to a truly memorable film is that it succeeds in delivering a number of messages without being preachy or overly intellectual.  The deepest dimensions of the current conflict between the terrorist Muslim world and western civilization are wonderfully delivered through brilliant, smart dialogue that reinforces the film’s visual violence.  That Americans can find friendship with citizens of a country like Saudi Arabia is also shown with remarkable controlled emotion that brings many viewers to tears.  And the conflict between the Saudi government that is totally anti-democratic and the nation’s terrorist and fundamentalist insurgents is also creatively portrayed.  The burden of being a woman in an Arab country is also shown through the various insults that Garner’s character experiences.

 

For the record, while the FBI is made to look effective and even heroic, the State Department is made to look worse than incompetent.

 

Lastly, this is a film with a remarkably good screenplay, written by Matthew Michael Carnahan.  After the initial stunning scenes of the terrorist bombing, as the main character played by Foxx fights a bureaucratic battle in Washington, D.C. to get permission to go to Saudi Arabia to investigate the terrible terrorist event that has also killed an FBI agent and close friend,, the dialogue among the FBI agents and between Foxx and high level federal officials is just perfect.  The arrogance and stupidity that we expect of high level federal officials is quickly shown through wonderful dialogue.  And every now and then there are some really funny lines throughout the film, making the moments of violence and suspense even more effective.

 

I can’t wait to see this film again.

Rate It | View Ratings

Joel Hirschhorn Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Joel S. Hirschhorn is the author of Pandemic Blunder: Fauci and Public Health Blocked Early Home COVID Treatment, Delusional Democracy - Fixing the Republic Without Overthrowing the Government and several other books, as well as hundreds of (more...)
 

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Americans Unready to Revolt, Despite Revolting Conditions

9/11 Truth Manifesto

Entering a Hospital and On Medicare? The One Question You Must Always Ask

Tea Party Terrorists

The Most Powerful People in America

Fight Economic Oppression, Target the Top One Percent

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend