Kingdom

The Kingdom is a technically solid and, with the exception of the bittersweet ending, rather intelligent thriller. Dealing with the pressing issue of terrorism is as important for the film as the spectacular yet realistically portrayed action. In the end, however, it is clear that Peter Berg is more at ease with the action. It’s also a pity that the movie ends at the moment when it finally gets going. This leaves the audience entertained but not satisfied. In time, The Kingdom will become outdated like, for example, Rules of Engagement. (04.10.2007)

I pray that this is not a new filmmaking trend and a question comes to mind: Is everyone really going to unsuccessfully play second-rate Paul Greengrass from now on? The words of an overseas film critic who wrote that Berg invited a "permanently dancing monkey" to operate the camera sound true. Even in static shots, the chaotic shuffling of the camera from side to side, up and down, which, sitting about 10 m in front of the big screen, led to sore eyes and, after half an hour, I had the feeling I had overdosed on Kinedryl. Greengrass owns this filmmaking style, he's mastered it perfectly and gave Bourne an interesting flair. But in your case, Peter Berg, was it really necessary? Because otherwise the actors, led by the charismatic Foxx, were superb, the Saudi realism fantastic and the final action breathtaking in places. If Berg became convinced that his pseudo-documentary approach with a camera unleashed could draw the viewer more into the plot, in my case it completely missed the mark. The last two sentences of the film are great, a simple and yet so apt description of the never ending struggle between the Western world and the Islamic one! By the way, for the first time in my life I had the experience of being in the cinema completely alone! (28.10.2007)

Michael Mann has laid his guardian hands on Peter Berg and the result is a quite provocative contribution to the problem of the current sores of the Western world, i.e., terrorism emanating from Muslim countries. Yes, it's all driven by the mainstream, which doesn't allow it to be as biting in some ways as it might like, but the filmmakers still managed to go further than, for example, their colleagues with Blood Diamond. The film's train of thought is mainly that even an ordinary Muslim wants to be a peaceful person whose concerns are his faith and his own family, and that fanaticism is the work of others. Berg manages to imbue these interviews with a fair amount of authorial sensitivity, drawing decent truths about both worlds from the many words spoken. However, in order to avoid falling into boredom, he lets the actors deliver hard-hitting catchphrases and at the end, he serves up some major action that sits the viewer in their armchair in such a way that nothing that could match it this season will stick in the memory. The scene with the car-jacking and subsequent kidnapping is, in my opinion, the most effectively escalating scene of the year, which also ties in with the London station stakeout in The Bourne Ultimatum. As a person who studies the issues in the Middle East and terrorism, I was quite pleased with The Kingdom, but as a casual viewer, I was perfectly settled and entertained. PS: To say that it is mainly the work of Michael Mann is nonsense, if only for the different functionality and emotional impact of some scenes. It's like saying that Spielberg actually made Transformers and not Bay. (16.10.2007)

Total satisfaction. Peter Berg serves up an interesting story that looks at the issues of the Western and Arab worlds in a quite clever way. Visually, the film is top notch from the first to the last second, Jamie Foxx is superb, and the final action set-piece is something that makes you want to take cover from bullets. I can't wait to see it again. (15.09.2007)

The craft is excellent, Berg does a good job with the action, although it all seems so polished that it is impersonal. The schematism in the world vision can be carried away, you can feel how much the screenwriter tried to plastically see the problem. Not that it is completely successful - the overall message in the style of "we all have families and we love them, so we are just people" is pleasantly dulled by the final point. I don't know if the creators wanted to suppress that cleverly cynical message at the last minute, and I really didn't understand the choice of music. Given the acting and the really frenetic and swollen last twenty minutes, The Kingdom will definitely pay off... A mastered genre film, but Peter Berg still lacks considerable dose of individuality to achieve the brilliance of Mann or Scott. (18.01.2009)

I don’t share the artificially formed cult around Peter Berg in this part of the world (Czech Republic). I consider him to be a reliable routineer who understands technical aspects and is good at pumping a movie full of pace, but he isn’t so good at drawing you into the story. Although the producer’s name draws the attention. Judge for yourself - Michael Mann. Sounds promising, huh? The Kingdom isn’t an action movie and isn’t at all a “hamburger movie", or at least as little as a potential blockbuster can be. It says neither one thing or the other. You find yourself believing that this is more or less what things would turn out in reality if an FBI team were really to assist in investigations in an Arabian country. Luckily it didn’t descend into a big-budget episode of CSI with naive natives and unerring, great Americans. Everything from political tricks through division of power to differences in cultures is addressed pretty realistically here. Even so, The Kingdom has one fundamental problem. But it isn’t the actors, who are outstanding and especially the Arabs headed by Ashraf Barhom in the role of Col. Faris Al Ghazi. The problem is the forcibly and completely unnecessarily grafted-on closing action sequence. Don’t get me wrong, it was excellent, raw and gripping... But only on its own. It seems like fifteen minutes of the highlights of Black Hawk Down, but it absolutely destroys the message of the entire movie and fits in like... Like nothing on earth. Which is a shame, because it’s good, it just should have appeared in a movie of a totally different kind. At least the last two sentences of The Kingdom saves the originally intended impression and pleasantly aptly remark upon the preceding events. (12.10.2007)

The Kingdom is a precisely constructed and directed thriller with a generic plot that very much conforms to the American geopolitical agenda of the time, but also attempts to disguise its propagandistic dimension by building kitsch-laden sympathies for some of the characters of other nationalities. In the end, it even allows itself to poke at the supposed moral superiority and unambiguous firm resolve. But, of course, it remains solely at the level of an easily digestible mainstream flick that resolutely does not go against the grain. However, the effectively built team of main characters, each with their own role in the narrative, and especially the action are definitely worthy of praise. Though viewers will have to wait until the end for that, it is the natural culmination of the preceding events and the depicted characters, and above all it is realised with an outstanding symbiosis of dramatic construction, spatial topography, nervous camerawork and quick editing, as well as astonishing physical dynamics. (13.01.2021)

There is a category of beautifully trashy movies where the American president takes down ten terrorists in a man-to-man battle, then sits in the cockpit of a military plane and eliminates a missile base threatening the whole world with a precise hit. Similar movies are transparent, they don't pretend to be anything else, and in their stupidity, they are often surprisingly entertaining. Unfortunately, The Kingdom does not belong to this category. It is obviously a low-quality production, and the opening montage and the scene of the attack on the American employees' camp set the bar quite high. One then looks forward to a clever crime thriller, only to find out that the good part is already over, and with every subsequent shot, the film delves into all the imaginable clichés of action movies. In the case of The Kingdom, the core of success for film fans is represented by well-shot action scenes and the reliable acting of the participants, although routine. However, the film script exudes such indifference toward Saudi Arabian realities and such contempt for the local culture that it hurts; the American civilization's superiority is simply evident when American professionals have to teach their colleagues the basics of criminal investigation, including fingerprinting... I don't even feel right giving it 2 stars in the end. Overall impression: 25%. (12.05.2013)

A very strong four stars. Berg really knows his stuff. It begins with an ingenious collage of archive images of U.S - Arab relations combined with computer graphics. I'd even venture to guess that these are this year's most impressive opening titles. The approach to the subject is matter-of-fact, with no embellishments and unnecessary frills. The acting performances are all high caliber. I was very surprised by Jennifer Garner, the surprisingly "ordinary" Jason Bateman, and I have to take my hat off to the performance of the almost unknown Ashraf Barhom. The final action inferno ranks among this year's best, and I will stress once again that I don't mind shaky camera. So, my last words about the Kingdom? I'll just say this: In the end, we're all the same. (14.12.2007)

In terms of the writing, it’s very economical, dynamic, and enjoyable to watch without unnecessary rambling. Additionally, it doesn't take anyone's side, meaning that the FBI agents are not machines for Americanism, and not all Arabs are willing to commit suicide for Allah. There is a certain level of political incorrectness, but making a film about such a sharp and current topic is already quite an art in itself, especially with such a high budget, so the director cannot be criticized too much in this regard. And actually, he cannot be criticized either when it comes to the technical aspects. Though that is rather the work of the chief producer Michael Mann, because when it comes to action, it is mostly his style, the typical visual elements, editing composition, and especially the stunning sound and clarity. The action is simply excellent, raw and fast-paced. Above all, the final ten-minute heist is the best action sequence of the year. Yes, better than Bourne. (13.10.2007)

A solidly made film, but one that may bore people expecting an action flick. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case with me, so I'm satisfied. In terms of acting and likability, the foursome of American agents may be dominated by "native" Ashraf Barhom, but that doesn't mean Foxx or Jennifer Garner are lousy. On the contrary. I didn't find any significant mistakes in the script, I've been enjoying Berg's direction for a long time, a few message at the end, some reflection... Yeah, I liked The Kingdom. (19.03.2010)

Berg did not disappoint again, on the contrary, he convinced me that he can make thoughtful and not too dumb action films. The Kingdom has everything that belongs to the genre: likeable heroes, very impressive action scenes, and a serious premise skilfully wrapped in the garb of a modern Hollywood spectacle. Perhaps it’s not as strong as Scott's Body of Lies, but it fulfils its purpose to entertain and at the same time to fully address a current topic. (04.01.2013)

The war on terrorism is quite an interesting topic, but movies about it are not as interesting anymore. I can't help it, but this is just another one of those pieces that try so hard to dazzle with greatly filmed action, which is also quite intense, although not too much, and then try to impress with emotional and sensitive moments. However, in the end, it somehow doesn't work and I couldn't get into the movie. (02.04.2014)

The final half hour is one of the most intense and impressive finales I've ever seen. On top of that, there's an absolutely endearing final idea that is crystal clear yet extremely powerful in the context of the entire film. Jamie Foxx gives one of his best performances as an uncompromising FBI agent who is no stranger to humanity and empathy in addition as much as he is to wit and brute force. The casting is generally very good, and in the absence of pathos or an otherwise screamingly conciliatory ending, this is indeed a showpiece of the genre. Along with Lone Survivor, this is probably Peter Berg's best work. (10.04.2020)