Adam Leavitt: What did you say to Mayes to get her to stop crying?
Ronald Fleury: I said we were going to kill them all.
Walking into 'The Kingdom' I think I was expecting something a little more than a good action film. I was expecting a taut, suspenseful, powerful, moving and intelligent action/drama. Unfortunately, I got the former. 'The Kingdom' isn't a bad film by any regards, but it certainly isn't a great one.
'The Kingdom' directed by actor-turned-director Peter Berg (Very Bad Things, Corky Romano), is heavy on the action but lacking in the drama department. Yes it has drama, but most of it is so melodramatic it resembles a Lifetime Original Movie. Some sequences are so cliché they'll make you bow your head in embarrassment. In the acting department, things are mostly good. Jamie Foxx is decent as the character he always seems to play -- Mr. Badass. Chris Cooper, probably the best actor of the film, is magnificent when he's on screen, but unfortunately he gets limited screen time. On the other hand probably the worst actor in the film, Jennifer Garner, is given too much screen time and the movie suffers because of it. The ever-so-talented comedic actor Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) is given a dramatic role in which he excels, but the film is stolen by the only non-high profile actor, Ashraf Barhom, who is outstanding as the Saudi Colonel caught in the middle of a tough situation. An Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor is not out of the question, but then again there's a long time between now and Oscar time.
All in all, I found 'The Kingdom' to be highly entertaining but nothing too memorable. Perhaps it was aiming for something higher in terms of quality, but for some reason it just didn't reach that level if you ask me. It kept me on the edge of my seat, but certainly didn't move me. Grade: B
Ronald Fleury: I said we were going to kill them all.
Walking into 'The Kingdom' I think I was expecting something a little more than a good action film. I was expecting a taut, suspenseful, powerful, moving and intelligent action/drama. Unfortunately, I got the former. 'The Kingdom' isn't a bad film by any regards, but it certainly isn't a great one.
'The Kingdom' directed by actor-turned-director Peter Berg (Very Bad Things, Corky Romano), is heavy on the action but lacking in the drama department. Yes it has drama, but most of it is so melodramatic it resembles a Lifetime Original Movie. Some sequences are so cliché they'll make you bow your head in embarrassment. In the acting department, things are mostly good. Jamie Foxx is decent as the character he always seems to play -- Mr. Badass. Chris Cooper, probably the best actor of the film, is magnificent when he's on screen, but unfortunately he gets limited screen time. On the other hand probably the worst actor in the film, Jennifer Garner, is given too much screen time and the movie suffers because of it. The ever-so-talented comedic actor Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) is given a dramatic role in which he excels, but the film is stolen by the only non-high profile actor, Ashraf Barhom, who is outstanding as the Saudi Colonel caught in the middle of a tough situation. An Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actor is not out of the question, but then again there's a long time between now and Oscar time.
All in all, I found 'The Kingdom' to be highly entertaining but nothing too memorable. Perhaps it was aiming for something higher in terms of quality, but for some reason it just didn't reach that level if you ask me. It kept me on the edge of my seat, but certainly didn't move me. Grade: B