The Kingdom (2007)

Director:

Peter Berg

Guionista (WGA):

Matthew Michael Carnahan (written by)

Release Date:

28 septiembre 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Frase comercial:

Trust No One

Plot:

A team of U.S. government agents is sent to investigate the bombing of an American facility in the Middle East.

Plot Keywords:

Investigation | Federal Bureau Of Investigation | Political Correctness | Child In Peril | Government Agent

Awards:

1 nomination

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Inside every big Hollywood movie in an interesting movie trying to get out

Cast

Jamie Foxx	...	Ronald Fleury
Chris Cooper	...	Grant Sykes
Jennifer Garner	...	Janet Mayes
Jason Bateman	...	Adam Leavitt
Ashraf Barhom	...	Colonel Faris Al Ghazi
Ali Suliman	...	Sergeant Haytham
Jeremy Piven	...	Damon Schmidt
Richard Jenkins	...	FBI Director James Grace
Tim McGraw	...	Aaron Jackson
Kyle Chandler	...	Francis Manner
Frances Fisher	...	Elaine Flowers
Danny Huston	...	Attorney General Gideon Young
Kelly AuCoin	...	Ellis Leach
Anna Deavere Smith	...	Maricella Canavesio
Minka Kelly	...	Miss Ross

También conocida como:

Operation: Kingdom (Germany)
Reino, El (Argentina) (Mexico) (Venezuela) [es]
Sombra del reino, La (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for intense sequences of graphic brutal violence, and for language.

Duración:

110 min

País:

USA | Germany

Idioma:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sonido:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Clasificación:

Sweden:15 | Kuwait:(Banned) | South Africa:16LV | France:-12 | USA:R (certificate #43538) | Philippines:R-13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Finland:K-15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Ireland:15A | Germany:16 | Taiwan:R-12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Malaysia:18SG | Denmark:15 | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | UK:15 | Australia:MA | South Korea:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 | Japan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivialidades:

The end of the movie dedicates it to Thomas Aguilar, Lance Gunnin and Nick Papac, all crew members who died during production. Thomas Aguilar (prop maker) died one week after being admitted to the hospital for stomach pain and subsequently discovering he had prostate cancer. Lance Gunnin (construction worker) was killed in a motorcycle accident on his way to the set and Nick Papac (prop master) died in an on-set collision between his Gator all-terrain vehicle and an SUV.

Goofs:

Continuity: Reports after the attack on the Western compound indicate the ambulance bomb was detonated one hour after the first attack at the softball game. This is unlikely given the complete darkness when the ambulance blows up compared to the broad daylight in which the attack at the softball game occurred.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator #1: After capturing most of the Arabian Peninsula with the help of the Wahhabi Islamic warriors, Ibn Saud establishes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Movie Connections:

References First Blood (1982)

Soundtrack:

Somethin' In The Water

Inside every big Hollywood movie in an interesting movie trying to get out

There is much to like in The Kingdom. Nice performances, a slightly-new take on the buddy-cop story, Jennifer Garner's upper lip, and some excellent action set pieces. However, halfway through watching it, it occurred to me that it would in fact have been a much more interesting film if none of the stars were in it. Which was little odd, because I am very fond indeed of Jennifer Garner's upper lip.

The plot is this: There is a big terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia. Some FBI agents led by Jamie Foxx, fast talk and bamboozle their way into the country to investigate, where they team up with two Saudi cops. There then follows a small amount of detective work, some interesting political manoeuvring and two really rather well-done shoot outs.

Now, I like Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jennifer Garner('s upper lip) who play the FBI agents, and although all three do the best they can with the material they are given, no effort is made to make their characters interesting. What's worse, although they aren't interesting, they are nevertheless vastly superior to everyone else. Thus nearly every single advance in the case is made by these three. They are the ones who solve everything.

The two Saudi cops, on the other hand, are interesting characters. Two good cops working in a corrupt, brutal system. Trying to solve a horrific crime whilst faced with hostility from their fellow officers and political interference from above. What's more, they're human. They have weaknesses and fears. They make mistakes.

And that's what occurred to me. I thought to myself that this film would almost certainly be more interesting and entertaining if the whole idea about the FBI agents had been removed, and instead, we'd just been following the wily but unfailingly polite Colonel Al Ghazi and his loyal sidekick Sergeant Haytham as they tried to solve the crime. Instead, once the FBI turn up, these two get relegated to standing to one side and looking suitably impressed every time one of the names-above-the-title stars does something brilliant.

Right at the start of the film, Jennifer Garner's character (ably assisted by her upper lip) makes a comment about how if the Saudi's allowed the FBI into the country to investigate the crime, it could prove to be enormously destructive. If only the film makers had listened to her.

It's not that the Kingdom is a bad film. In fact, it's actually a rather good film. I just think that if they'd dropped the stars, it could have been much better.