The Kingdom

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Piven, Ashraf Barhom, Tim McGraw
Directed by: Peter Berg
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After a brutal terrorist bombing in Saudi Arabia, an elite team of FBI Agents (Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman) are sent in to find the murderers before they strike again.

Review:

Tim: This is a genuinely good movie. It is well made, entertaining, and best of all, has a little something to say about all the terrorism and the war between democracy and islamic terrorists. A number of movies have been made about this topic in recent years. This one ranks as one of the better ones.

The cast is good. Jamie Foxx is mostly good in the lead role. He doesn't give the best performance of his career, but it gets the job done. Chris Cooper likewise, was restrained in his performance. He's been better, but he is still fairly enjoyable here. Jennifer Garner is surprisingly effective in her role. I really enjoyed her in this movie. I've never really liked Jason Bateman, and he is not very good at all here. He just does not impress me at all. I thought Ashraf Barhom was excellent.

The movie does a good job of balancing out the suspense and the drama of being hunted in Saudi Arabia with the FBI's determination to find the killer using the latest in forensic evidence. Our American heroes are in the middle of an incredibly hostile terrain, and this adds greatly to the supense.

The movie features a few truly excellent action sequences. These involve explosions, high speed chases, and spectacular gunfights. This is perhaps the most entertaining part of the movie. In terrific fashion, the movie ends with a not-so-subtle final message about the war on terror, and the war on democracy. This serves as a stark reminder about what we as a people face in the future. This is a good movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Charlie Wilson's War, Collateral, Home of the Brave