Antonio Hernandez
“The Kingdom”, directed by Peter Berg and starring Jamie Foxx, is truly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. At first glance, it looks like your typical action movie. The trailers for the film are so full explosions that one would think this was all there was to the film. However, there is much more than expensive stunts and gunshots to this movie. “The Kingdom” takes place in Saudi Arabia and immediately begins with an impressive action sequence on an American civilian compound. Terrorists successfully attack the compound, which looks frightening similar to a typical American suburb.
The explosions are intense, and the “embedded journalist” viewpoint used in shooting is extremely effective. This single action scene sets the pace for the whole movie, which rarely has any downtime. The FBI, in charge of investigating terrorism, forms an elite team to find and capture the terrorists responsible for the bombing. The movie takes a good 30 minutes to actually get the team to the Middle East. It drags the viewer through fast cuts of dialogue across every conceivable office on Capitol Hill. While it attests to the quick-tongue world of Washington, D.C., it serves more to confuse the audience than inform. Out of this political clout comes the Elite FBI team. The four-member squad is led by Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx). Fleury is teamed up with Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper), Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garner) and Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman). Foxx’s character takes center stage as the charismatic leader that has a hard time accepting “no” for an answer. Foxx delivers a well-rounded performance. His character, even though cliché, is delivered in such a way that it makes it seem new and fresh. The other three actors also do a fine job, but are victim to the supporting role, becoming just a standing piece to support Foxx. What each actor truly does, though, is make each character entirely believable, even in situations that are not. Sadly, the movie really doesn’t become enjoyable until the team leaves for Saudi Arabia. The viewer is immediately placed in the scene through great camera work that truly makes a person forget they are in a movie theater. The cultural differences between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia are constantly brought into light. This contrast of cultures is embodied in the conflict between Foxx’s character and the Saudi Arabian colonel, Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom), who has the task of protecting the FBI team.
The movie focuses on the two and how they come to terms with their cultural differences. This makes “The Kingdom” more like a character piece than an action movie. Foxx and Barhom have such great chemistry that it’s easy to forget they are reading from a script. This isn’t to say that the movie forgets it’s an action blockbuster. The action sequences are brutal and realistic. A typical car chase is turned upside down by the amazing directing, almost placing the viewer in the driver seat as bullets fly by. The tension builds everywhere the team travels, the camera occasionally breaking from a scene to wander, as if to force the viewer to be cautious. While the movie gives a small peek into the Middle East, whispering moral and ethical questions to the audience, it keeps a neutral stance. Aided by a great script and equally impressive acting, The Kingdom delivers more bang than your typical action movie, if only hindered by the small, yet still present, Hollywood formula. Grade: B.