This film has a great opening act: a terrorist attack on an American housing compound in Saudi Arabia leaves many people, mostly US citizens, dead. The FBI investigates all incidents where US citizens die, but the politics of the Middle East don't make things that simple. The FBI can't just walk into Saudi Arabia, but nonetheless, strings are pulled and the agents arrive to investigate.
The film's second act is also compelling and focuses on more than just the crime at hand. The FBI agents have a Saudi State Police Officer to look after them and they form a certain friendship. They are people who make their life doing the same thing, but they have different ways of doing it and thinking about it. That's what makes the film interesting. The portrayal of the Saudi Arabia also isn't ridiculously demonic and evil as I thought this film might turn out. Ashraf Barhom plays a dedicated and strict man, but he is also likable and his character development is treated just the Jamie Foxx's character. Their relationship in the story exemplifies the two different ways of dealing with the issue at hand. The film isn't very deep, but is definitely better than the typical action movie with a political backdrop and definitely enough to keep the film rolling.
The film's third act begins with a massive car crash and pretty much never recovers. Throughout the film you can see the shaky camera that seems to be popular with many thrillers today, but the third act really does it. The action is so shaky and edited together so fast from so many shots you actually begin to wonder: have they forgot about choreography? Better known as "the arranging of on-screen action so we can actually see what is going on for a couple a seconds at a time." And it is not just the action, but the plot just races toward a quick kill 'em all revenge conclusion that knocks off all the bad guys, has some cheesy moments when a good character dies and leaves you almost in disbelief that the film could wind up here.
There is an interesting irony in the very last scene that asks some questions, but by that point it feels like they were giving so many quick convenient answers that a question seems out of place. --- 6/10
Rated R for violence and profanity. Ages 13+.
The film's second act is also compelling and focuses on more than just the crime at hand. The FBI agents have a Saudi State Police Officer to look after them and they form a certain friendship. They are people who make their life doing the same thing, but they have different ways of doing it and thinking about it. That's what makes the film interesting. The portrayal of the Saudi Arabia also isn't ridiculously demonic and evil as I thought this film might turn out. Ashraf Barhom plays a dedicated and strict man, but he is also likable and his character development is treated just the Jamie Foxx's character. Their relationship in the story exemplifies the two different ways of dealing with the issue at hand. The film isn't very deep, but is definitely better than the typical action movie with a political backdrop and definitely enough to keep the film rolling.
The film's third act begins with a massive car crash and pretty much never recovers. Throughout the film you can see the shaky camera that seems to be popular with many thrillers today, but the third act really does it. The action is so shaky and edited together so fast from so many shots you actually begin to wonder: have they forgot about choreography? Better known as "the arranging of on-screen action so we can actually see what is going on for a couple a seconds at a time." And it is not just the action, but the plot just races toward a quick kill 'em all revenge conclusion that knocks off all the bad guys, has some cheesy moments when a good character dies and leaves you almost in disbelief that the film could wind up here.
There is an interesting irony in the very last scene that asks some questions, but by that point it feels like they were giving so many quick convenient answers that a question seems out of place. --- 6/10
Rated R for violence and profanity. Ages 13+.