The Kingdom: Review

The current Iraqi conflict has been jumped on quickly by Hollywood, who has produced a number of films, almost all being critical of the war. It is then with some fanfare that The Kingdom arrives, being the first First Blood studio film for the conflict in the Middle East and despite all its political leanings, it avoids the Iraq War completely. That conflict, so rife with controversy, is not even mentioned and as a result, the film feels like a bit of revisionist history, its odd tones borrowing from the current political climate but never actually acknowledging it. The film, directed by Peter Berg, produced by the masterful Michael Mann and written by Matthew Michael Carnahan (brother of Joe), unfortunately never takes off and instead of being the in-depth actioner it could have been, it feels more like a neo-con fantasy that never wants to ask, much less answer, the tough questions.

Right from the roaring, in your face opening sequence, it is clear that The Kingdom is not trying to be a subtle political piece but an action flick with some political thought. This opening sequence, of a terrorist attack on a compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a gripping and violent jolt, launching the audience into the film's narrative almost immediately. After the attacks, the FBI sends a small group of investigators, led by Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx). Fleury, who initially is denied permission to travel to Saudi Arabia to investigate, utilizes some back door connections to slide his way into the assignment, bypassing the people who initially forbid his request. In doing so, Berg and Carnahan position Fleury in the long line of freedom fighting mavericks inhabited by Rambo and just about every character Chuck Norris has ever played. Thankfully, they also imbue Fleury with a great deal more of intellectual saavy and never let him reach the mindless depths of the aforementioned characters. Upon the groups arrival in the Kingdom, they begin their investigation into the attacks, which they quickly link to a Bin Laden like cell leader.

The rest of Fleury's group are something of a motley crew, two of which seem to be completely useless, Special Agents Adam Leavitt and Janet Mayes (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) and the third being a grizzled old veteran with a few tricks up his sleeve, SA Grant Sykes (Chris Cooper). For Leavitt, his only reason for being there seems to crack jokes and take up space. Mayes spends most of the film either crying or cowering in a corner until the last moments when she kills some baddies and then gets thrown around a room. Sykes is a bit more useful (i.e. someone an American Citizen might actually want to have in the FBI), pulling his weight throughout the film. Cooper is his usual reliable self, if not somewhat disappointing due to the general lack of depth in his character. While Bateman and Garner have almost nothing to work with, neither do much with their scraps with Bateman just feeling generally out of place. Maybe its the fact that he was so good in Fox's alt-sitcom Arrested Development but I couldn't help but shake the feeling that it was Michael Bluth getting dragged around the Saudi streets.

The best character is probably the unit's Saudi contact, a state policeman named Col. Faris Al-Ghazi, wonderfully played by Ashraf Barhom. Without this character to counterweight the unit's American jingoism, the film might be construed as a fully anti-Muslim statement. However, Barhom's humanistic and believable work stops that from being the case as he is an undeniably likeable and moral character, in fact, maybe the most so in all of the film. His character is given the most depth and Barhom really runs with it, turning in a wonderful performance and is a major highlight for the film.

Unlike Mann's directorial work, which features a great deal of mood and feeling while still handing out riveting action, Berg loses his narrative steam during the action sequence, regardless of how effective they are. For Mann, the acts of violence that inhabit his films are horrific enough as they are. He rarely relies on over the top blood and gore, rather using the speed and precision of the moments to give them their power. Berg chooses an alternate, inferior route to take, utilizing the aforementioned gore to drive home the horrific nature of the acts the film portrays. As a result, where Mann's work never feels like a generic action film, Berg's sometimes does albeit with some exotic trappings. Throughout the film, I couldn't help but wish that Mann had stepped into the director's chair and taken over as the film would have probably been better off. That being said, there are some memorable sequences

The Kingdom is not entirely without merit, far from it. For all its shoot first, speak second ideologies, the film displays a remarkable awareness of the more complex issues that infuse the middle east with such volatility. Take, for example, the opening credits (some of the best I've ever seen) that briefly but effectively sum up the past 70 years of history in the Middle East as it relates to the film's narrative. Unlike Syriana, which required a rather intimate working knowledge of the situation in question to fully comprehend its more complex moments, The Kingdom is easily accessible, largely thanks to the opening moments. For a country that is quickly tiring of the constant bombardment of media coverage regarding the war in Iraq, The Kingdom despite its setting, allows for some simple escapism. I would not be surprised if the film found a strong neo-con following, as its the type of American go get 'em hard body actioner that dominated the Reagan-led 80's. The violence is never really personal, most of the victims are faceless Muslims who serve no purpose other than to get in the way of our heroes bullets. Think of The Kingdom as Live Free or Die Hard, with half the edge of your seat thrills and a 50% more intelligence and you'll leave impressed and entertained. If you go in expecting anything more, expect disappointment.


***