The Kingdom (2007)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Peter Berg

Writer (WGA):

Matthew Michael Carnahan (written by)

Release Date:

28 September 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

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:

Saudi Arabia | FBI | Compound | Investigation | FBI Agent

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 11

1:15 AM

MAX

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	...	Robert Grace
Tim McGraw	...	Aaron Jackson
Kyle Chandler	...	Francis Manner
Frances Fisher	...	Elaine Flowers
Danny Huston	...	Gideon Young
Kelly AuCoin	...	Ellis Leach
Anna Deavere Smith	...	Maricella Canavesio
Minka Kelly	...	Miss Ross

Also Known As:

Operation: Kingdom (Germany)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | UK:15 | Sweden:15 | Ireland:15A | South Korea:18 | Denmark:15 | South Africa:16LV | USA:R (certificate #43538) | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Singapore:NC-16 | Germany:16 | Kuwait:(Banned) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | France:-12 | Malaysia:18SG | Japan:PG-12 | Taiwan:R-12 | Philippines:R-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The production team had originally wanted to shoot the film on location in Saudi Arabia, but political and logistical issues made this far too difficult. Instead, Tom Duffield and the production design team re-constructed exterior urban scenes for the chase and shootout on an empty lot near Mesa, Arizona, using photographs from the internet and some that director Peter Berg had taken on a visit to the country prior to filming. Some additional on location photography was shot in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This includes the Prince's palace and larger exteriors with skyscrapers, major city streets and highways.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When they are all at the roof top and Al Ghazi is about to inform Mayes she can't attend, he seems to get nervous. Before being able to say it, he asks her how her ear is (from the incident earlier) and asks if it was her right (while pointing at the left one) or left (while pointing at the right one).

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:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2007-09-29)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

Don't Start Countin' On Me

Violent, intense but very good

I was able to see an advanced screening of this movie. With such an all star cast I thought it had to be good. It didn't disappoint. This movie had you involved from the first couple minutes. It starts out with a very intense and rather violent attack on US citizens in the Middle East. The movie is about terrorists in the Middle East, specifically The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The FBI steps in when US citizens are attacked abroad and Foxx, Cooper, Garner and Bateman play a team of agents sent to Saudi Arabia to investigate the attack. It seems like there was a lot of research for this movie and it is interesting to see the interactions between the US officials and the Saudi officials. There is constant action in this movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat but also emotion (I cried several times). I do have to say though there is a lot of violence, so if you can't handle it don't go. I didn't think the violence was overdone but it was present throughout the movie. That said, this is one of the best action movies I have seen in a while. Go see it, it is awesome on the big screen!