Berg’s ‘The Kingdom’ attacks issues present in Middle East
By Lindsey Newett
Staff Writer
“The Kingdom,” directed by Peter Berg (“Collateral”), is an eye-opening and strong action movie filled with explicit fighting scenes, added humor and intense moments. The continuous action and drama in the film keeps the audience on the edge of its seats from start to finish.
The plot focuses on four FBI agents sent to Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist shootout that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Americans. The team is sent out for five days and placed under Saudi Arabian surveillance.
The agents sleep in a gym that is locked at night by their Saudi Arabian hosts. Given the suspicious circumstances of the agents entering the territory, they must have constant approval from their Saudi Arabian leader before they look for evidence at the bombing sites or interview any witnesses. Also, the agents never leave without proper weapons or guards nearby to prevent another attack.
The movie has an all-star cast. The four FBI agents are played by Jaime Foxx (“Ray”), Jennifer Garner (“Catch and Release”), Jason Bateman (“The Break-Up”) and Chris Cooper (“American Beauty”).
The acting is exceptionally good, and Foxx lives up to his Academy Award-winning status as Ronald Fluery, leader of the FBI team. To prepare for the investigation, Fluery gathers an elite team that has the attitude needed to find the terrorists who perpetrated the attack on the Americans.
Garner stands out as the only woman on the team. She plays the beautiful Janet Mayes, a serious and emotional agent who is passionate about saving the lives of others, even if it means sacrificing her own.
Bateman plays FBI agent Adam Leavitt, a man who questions his assignment to leave America and investigate the attack.
He uses humor to hide his fears and lightens the serious mood throughout the film. In scenes of crisis, humor plays a positive role. The movie was well scripted and had the right amount of humor.
Grant Sykes, played by Cooper, is the oldest agent, and he is always ready to work. He looks for evidence and raids Internet sites to aid in the search for the unknown terrorists.
The terrorists in the film demonstrate their zeal by committing suicide attacks.
They also are very passionate about their religion because it is of the utmost importance in their lives.
The director and writers of this film seem to have done research on the topic of terrorism in Saudi Arabia.
The film is intense, and it attempts to create scenes that show the intricate details of how bombs are made. Scenes in the film also depict terrorists cutting off their fingers. The act indicates that they are part of the bomb-making process.
The last twenty minutes are very intense. Just when the agents seem to have completed their mission and everyone is going to come out okay, another crisis erupts.
After the overpowering last scene, the theatre was silent as the credits rolled.
This film provokes thought and questions why things come to be the way they are. A lot of emotion was put into the acting, and it attacked the issues that may be present with Americans and the Middle East.
