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In this film, Jamie Foxx and his F. B. I. team comprised of Jennifer Garner (medical examiner), Chris Cooper (explosives expert) and James Bateman (forensics) travel to Saudi Arabia where a terrorist is planting explosives and using suicide bombers to kill Americans. Nothing new there. Americans seem to be targets around the globe. The idea, here, is to find the terrorist and decimate his group. The film shows the F.B.I. team working together with Saudi Arabian police officers.

The Kingdom opens with a brief dialogue showing how the country of Saudi Arabia was formed, the importance of oil and the mid-1970’s embargo on oil that dented our economy. The F.B.I. deals with incidents involving Americans around the world. Then, the story begins with Jamie Foxx at his son’s school and at the same time, in Saudi Arabia, American contractors are having a picnic in their compound. Before you can say, “Watch out,” there are explosions and many people killed and wounded. Who is responsible?  Someone called “The Fox.”  A friend to Foxx’s team is one of the people killed, but a Saudi Arabian police officer (Ali Suliman) emerges as a hero, as he manages to kill several of the enemy.

Foxx and his team are called into Saudi Arabia under a time table to find the head of the organization. They end up working with not only the Saudi police officer, but a Saudi Colonel (Ashraf Barhom).  The Americans are like fish out of water here. You can’t ask a direct question of a Saudi prince, but instead, in what we would call diplomatic terms, you get the answer you want. All this takes time, which is what the team doesn’t have. Can they find “The Fox” before he strikes again? The F.B.I. has top-notch equipment, but will they be allowed to use it? The movie was done in Arizona and the United Arab Emirates.

The Kingdom has plenty of action including bombings, fights, torture and chases. Jamie Foxx is smooth as the leader of the team and Jason Bateman provides a sly comment or two. Jennifer Garner goes into action like Alias or Elektra and certainly shows what she is made of in fight scenes. It’s good to see her on the screen again. Ali Suliman as the Saudi police officer and Ashraf Barhom as the Saudi Colonel are names not familiar to American audiences. They portray their roles well, especially Barhom.

You see the mind set of both sides in The Kingdom, from the Americans presence and aid to the groups of terrorists in the Middle East who don’t want Americans there at all.  The terrorists seem to think, “Death to everyone but you and me and sometimes I wonder about you.” Not everyone in the Middle East is against Americans and we also see that terrorists target anyone---Americans or Saudi in this film---who go against what they want. Nothing new there, this type of mind set has been going on around the world for thousands of years.  

Copyright 2007 Marie Asner

The story revolves around a terrorist attack on an American occupied section of Saudi Arabia. An FBI team goes in to try and investigate the attack only to bump heads with governments on both sides. It is a clash of cultures and a contrast in community that pave a path to discovery. Led by agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx), it is up to his team to break through these barriers and get to the truth. From the moment they touch down on Arab soil it is a race to find the answers while staying alive in a hostile environment. 

Foxx is flanked by a cast of actors who each add a special flavor to their characters. The seasoned Chris Cooper shines as always and balances well with Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. Garner is perfect at being the softer character with an inner strength that flows just below the surface. It's the reason she is perfect in Alias yet can turn around and do an adorable romantic character. She brings both of those elements to this agent role. Foxx, who may never be a Denzel Washington or a Samuel Jackson, still proves to be a gifted talent. He gives 100% every time. I saw reflections of a young Danny Glover at times in this performance. 

I loved the feel and look of this movie too. It is a volatile story and the imagery and design have to match. The cinematography and direction moved this film along and allowed each scene to breathe. Berg has a fantastic eye for film making and I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future. Again I go back to the writing of Matthew Michael Carnahan. This is his first endeavor and he set the bar high for future projects. He pulls you into conflicting cultures and lets you see a brief glimpse into how we are so different yet unnervingly alike. 

The Kingdom is Rated R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence, and for language. As I mentioned it is a film about terrorism and the imagery is gripping and emotional. You feel the impact of each blast with visual awareness. I very seldom throw around perfect ratings. It has to be a film that does more than look or work great; it has to leave its mark on you long after you leave the theater. The Kingdom does just that. I give it 5 out of 5 speeding Escalades. If you see one film this post summer, it has to be this one. Just know before you go. I'm Matt Mungle

Matt Mungle (09/26/07)

Matt is a member of the North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and co-hosts a weekly radio feature, The Mungles on Movies, with his wife Cindy. For additional reviews, interview clips and great DVD giveaways, visit the website www.mungleshow.com"

Review copyright 2007 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.