The Kingdom (2007)

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:

FBI | Saudi Arabia | Compound | Investigation | FBI Agent

Awards:

2 nominations

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 | Arabic

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 Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | France:-12 | Malaysia:18SG | Japan:PG-12 | Taiwan:R-12 | Philippines:R-13 | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:18

Filming Locations:

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

When Mayes makes a comment about the group of FBI agents being in the jungle, Leavitt calls her Axl, referring to the singer of the band Guns N' Roses who had a hit with "Welcome To The Jungle". "Welcome To The Jungle" is also the German title for The Rundown (2003), a previous movie by director Peter Berg.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the FBI team are invited to the palace of Saudi Prince Ahmed bin Khaled, they are not covering their faces. In Saudia Arabia, everyone must cover their heads even they are foreigners and mostly if they are seeing the Saudi king and prince.

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!