What Do The Critics Say?

"Mixes action and intentionally obvious political relevance together in a movie that's part police procedural, part military action, and all smarts." Joshua Tyler CINEMABLEND "Every moment in The Kingdom is shrouded with the threat of violence, until it finally explodes in a last reel that's one of the most heart-pounding action scenes in years." Brian Tallerico UGO "The Kingdom has a heart and a viewpoint. It's a thrill ride with a lingering thought or two in its wake. But the explosions, breakneck chases, daredevil escapes and predictability about which side will be victorious remain its foremost mission." Sid Smith CHICAGO TRIBUNE "From the opening sequence of suicide attackers, to the daringly prolonged ambush, chase and shoot out that closes the film, [director] Berg doesn't let up on the tension, even when the action is bloodless." Michael Sragow BALTIMORE SUN "Though its violence is searing and brutal, the film shows a conscience and a brain, and if it explains things a bit simplistically at times, so much the better." Connie Ogle MIAMI HERALD "The last 30 minutes of The Kingdom are incredibly intense. Bullets fly at a frantic pace and director Peter Berg’s in your face style and fast cutting put you in the center of the action. The final shootout is so realistic you may feel the need to bob and weave away from the bullet. The Kingdom gets your heart racing and your blood pumping, and it’s perfectly fine to get caught up in the action. One of the best thrillers of 2007." Rebecca Murray ABOUT.COM

"The pacing is just right, shifting deftly between procedural road blocks and high-energy action sequences that wouldn't be out of place in The Bourne Ultimatum. the film excels at capturing the many dimensions of the people caught in a war zone and the outsiders choosing to enter a place that's far from happy to see them." Matt Pais METROMIX.COM "Although the actors are good, this is a director's movie. Berg keeps the interest and tension at a high level throughout." Tony Medley TOLUCAN TIMES "The Kingdom ascends to the throne as one of the must-see films of 2007." Jeffrey Lyles GAZETTE "A jaw dropping look into something many Americans, like me, are all too unfamiliar with." Vince Koehler ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM "A taut, slickly made thriller." Ty Burr BOSTON GLOBE "It's an adrenaline rush that tickles the brain cells." Marshall Fine STAR MAGAZINE "The Kingdom is close to flawless, a model of bluntly efficient story-telling." Chris Hewitt ST PAUL PIONEER PRESS "A good time of year for an exciting, thought provoking action drama. The Kingdom is that, and more." Robin Clifford REELING REVIEWS "This is loose history but gripping drama, an action thrill ride ready-made for C.S.I. Nation, braced with stunning shoot-outs and chases." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "A riveting ticking time-bomb of a movie that really works. The last 30 minutes are so intense you won't be able to move." Pete Hammond MAXIM

The Inside Story Peter Berg conceived of the idea for The Kingdom a decade ago, after watching news coverage of the infamous June 25th 1996, Khobar Towers terrorist attack in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Hezbollah exploded a fuel truck that slaughtered 19 Americans, a Saudi national and wounded 372 people of many nationalities in one of the most brutal anti-American attacks ever staged in that region. Berg recalls of the attack that affected U.S. relations with its Saudi allies: "It was an act of terrorism that targeted Americans, and was felt painfully by Saudis as well. It led to the FBI trying to work for the first time with Saudi law enforcement, which proved to be a complicated and tricky investigative effort. I thought it would be a fascinating idea for a film, to watch how the American and Arab cultures, both targets of religious violence and sharing a common interest in battling religious extremism, navigate differences, suspicions and politics to try and work together." Then came September 11th 2001. "After 9/11, there was so much anti-Saudi sentiment in the States, because so many of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia; Osama was Saudi. But, it wasn’t reflected in my relationships with Saudis I knew." Berg believed that there was no better time to make a film that "looks at the joint Arab and American fight against violent extremism." In June 2003, Berg approached Michael Mann ("The Aviator" & "Collateral") in his office next door and asked if he’d produce the project through his Forward Pass production company. Mann likes the idea of working with strong directors with authoritative visions. The screenwriter Berg had in mind was a thirty year old unknown named Matthew Michael Carnahan, who had written a scorching drama titled "Soldier Field". It told the story of a Chicago police officer pitted against the Mafia and the Russian mob. Mann had read Carnahan’s "Soldier Field". Berg responded to the strategic ways in which Carnahan crafted action, and knew he was the man for the job. "He’s a politically savvy guy, but he also writes kick-ass action," the director said. "We didn’t want to make a film that fundamentally existed as a political exposé. We wanted a film that was entertaining and muscular with strong action, yet was fair in capturing the politics of the times." Mann and Berg took their idea to Universal Pictures. Producer Scott Stuber, who previously worked with director Berg on both "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Friday Night Lights" as Universal Pictures’ vice chairman of worldwide production, remembers when the idea for the project came across his desk. "Pete, Michael and I had dinner together," he recalled. "They pitched the story to me, and I thought it was a great idea. We were all big fans of Carnahan’s script for "Soldier Field", and he wanted to write this; so it was an easy pitch for me to buy for the studio." During the project’s development, Stuber announced his departure from the executive suites of Universal to form, along with his co-chair at the studio and one of the film’s executive producers, Mary Parent, the production company Stuber/Parent. Berg and Mann contacted Stuber, asking him to stay on and help shepherd the project to the screen. Stuber firmly believed The Kingdom could "play both as an intellectual drama and as an action movie, it has action and thrills, but it also deals with real-world problems." Carnahan spoke with agents who had seen the after effects of the Khobar bombings, worked in Yemen after the U.S.S. Cole was attacked and slogged through East Africa after American embassies were bombed. He was particularly intrigued by the stories of hostage rescue team members accompanying the FBI and protecting investigators—and the different standards of justice, criminal procedure and criminal science they found in their host countries. Tragically, in May 2003, three western housing complexes in Saudi Arabia were attacked in the same night. That was the final seed that would inform the filmed script. Berg was able to travel to Saudi Arabia to do additional research on behalf of the film. In one scouting session, he sat on a panel with Saudi women and men from different strata of society. "This is a story set in a world that most of us know nothing about, but Pete had a real vision for the type of movie he wanted to make," Stuber recalls. Berg emphasized that he wasn’t "looking to make a jingoistic all-American film about a group of Americans that come and kick ass in an Arab culture. We’re politically neutral in the film. If we go after anyone, it’s violent extremism. This movie is about Americans and Arabs working together in a very decent and human way." Mann handed the screenplay to Academy Award ® winner Jamie Foxx ("Ray") on the set of "Miami Vice". "Fleury has to deal with the fact that his views on the war on terror change completely when someone he and his family love and admire loses his life. Death has been brought to his doorstep, and he must decide how to deal with it," Foxx notes. "Jamie can project himself so thoroughly into characters and identities," says Mann. "He’s absolutely credible to me as somebody in the FBI. There is a seriousness of intent that these folks have." Academy Award ® winner Chris Cooper ("Adaptation") plays veteran FBI agent Grant Sykes. Cooper says he saw the film as both a political action thriller and a "heartfelt, serious piece that was truly informative about our relationship with Saudi Arabia. If I can find a project that’s as informative and as immediate as this, that’s something I like to spend my energies doing." Berg and Carnahan had developed the character of Grant Sykes as an explosives expert who, according to Berg "is obsessed with bombs and the science of reverse engineering." Berg chose his old friend, Golden Globe ® winner Jennifer Garner for the role of agent Janet Mayes. Garner says she found the script to be "compelling, visceral and terrifying." The fourth member of the team is FBI Special Agent Adam Leavitt. Leavitt is played by Jason Bateman who, by the way co-starred with director Berg in the action packed thriller "Smokin' Aces". The layers of the script impressed Bateman, who notes, "The political theme is up to each individual’s interpretation. To me, it speaks to how futile this eye for an eye revenge gets. The film is filled with jeopardy and political intrigue, done in a very entertaining, action-packed, scary way." Stuber says "One of the most appealing things is that we have two Saudi Arabian characters who allow the audience to understand how they behave and interact in their culture. It’s great insight into this world and this region." The roles of Colonel Faris Al Ghazi and Sergeant Haytham went to two Middle Eastern actors who starred in the Oscar ® nominated thriller "Paradise Now", Ashraf Barhom and Ali Suliman. The filmmakers signed Suliman first, then selected Barhom after Berg met with the actor in Hong Kong. Berg knew one of the crucial arcs to Carnahan’s script lay in the development of the character of Colonel Al Ghazi, to be played by Barhom. Barhom was drawn to his character because of his "strong personality, honesty and directness. He is loyal and goes for his goals, until he reaches what he wants. I wanted to be involved because the attitude of this script was one of bringing harmony and putting the focus on something very important." Saudi citizen Ahmed Al-Ibrahim was brought onboard to not only ensure authenticity but to also act as a cultural expert. He worked with the cast on dialogue and dialects. His duties included collaborating with Barhom and Suliman to learn the Saudi dialect different from their own. With all the main players in place the team turned to the next task. More than three thousand Americans of Persian, Turkish or Saudi descent (as well as an additional range of ethnicities) were found on location and hired to play Saudi police, soldiers, townsfolk or insurgents. All were dressed in authentic garbs shipped from Arabic regions in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The filmmakers next task was to coordinate physical training sessions for the six main players. Training took place in California’s Simi Valley, weeks before filming began in Arizona. Training included "small arms fire and automatic weapons," Cooper recalled. "Rather than just blanks, we used paint pellets. The training included a firefight in a building; the people that we were fighting were weapons experts, some of the best target shooters in the country." Foxx notes the training "teaches you to really respect the weapons that we were using and know that they really can kill." Mann, Stuber and Berg felt it was vitally important the actors understood the basics of demolition, forensics, fingerprinting, evidence gathering and witness interviewing techniques. Berg recalls, "The FBI was very cooperative, giving us unprecedented access. They supported the film, opened their doors and helped these actors learn skills they had to use." "We spent time with FBI agents as they were learning to sift through debris and figure out the difference between high and low explosives, what was used as the detonator and what kind of chemical could be in there," Garner says. "We also spent a day learning how to lift fingerprints, get them out of the mud in a puddle and lift them from somebody who is deceased." The Kingdom began principal photography on location in the Phoenix area. In addition to the Sun Valley, key domestic ocations for the project included Mesa and Gilbert, Arizona, where the film’s main sets were built at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic Campus and, Washington, D.C., at the World War II Memorial and the Department of Justice building. "We had to find a desert locale in the U.S. that could simulate Saudi Arabia," Stuber notes. "The Arab buildings in this movie were based on sites in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates," production designer Tom Duffield revealed. Synopsis

When a terrorist bomb detonates inside a Western housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, an international incident is ignited. While diplomats slowly debate equations of territorialism, FBI Special Agent Ronald Fleury quickly assembles an elite team and negotiates a secret five-day trip into Saudi Arabia to locate the madman behind the bombing. Upon landing in the desert kingdom, however, Fleury and his team discover Saudi authorities suspicious and unwelcoming of American interlopers into what they consider a local matter. Hamstrung by protocol and with the clock ticking on their five days, the FBI agents find their expertise worthless without the trust of their Saudi counterparts, who want to locate the terrorist in their homeland on their own terms. Fleury’s crew finds a like-minded partner in Saudi Colonel Al-Ghazi, who helps them navigate royal politics and unlock the secrets of the crime scene and the workings of an extremist cell hell bent on further destruction and extracting their revenge on the FBI agents.

The Verdict "Director Peter Berg comes of age with the enthralling action-drama, "The Kingdom". From it's emotionally devestating opening scenes to it frenetic, deadly finale`, "The Kingdom" takes its audience on an emotionally charged journey. Political intrigue, cultural barriers and fanatical terrorism are its themes. Debut screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan mixes them well, ensuring that even during the non-combative moments of "The Kingdom" there is an undercurrent of uneasiness and dire expectation. The cast, which included Academy Award winners Jamie Foxx and Chris Cooper is exceptional and all give outstanding performances but, while much emphasis will be placed on the star quality of the established Hollywood stars, the most outstanding performace in "The Kingdom" comes from Israeli actor Ashraf Barhom whose turn as Colonel Faris Al Ghazi is outstanding. "The Kingdom" will provide moviegoers with good value for their cinema dollars. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "THE KINGDOM" stars .......
Jamie Foxx ["Collateral", "Ray", "Stealth", "Miami Vice" and "Dreamgirls"]; Chris Cooper ["Adaptation", "Seabiscuit", "Capote", "Jarhead" and "Breach"]; Jennifer Garner ["Catch Me If You Can", "Daredevil", "Suddenly 30" and "Elektra"]; Jason Bateman ["Starsky & Hutch", "The Breakup" and "Smokin' Aces"]; Jeremy Piven ["Old School", "Runaway Jury" and "Smokin' Aces"]; Richard Jenkins ["Intolerable Cruelty", "North Country", "Fun with Dick and Jane" and "Rumor Has It"] and Ashraf Barhom ["Columbian Love", "The Syrian Bride" and "Paradise Now"] as Colonel Faris Al Ghazi.
"THE KINGDOM" was .......
directed by Peter Berg ["Welcome To The Jungle" and "Friday Night Lights"]; screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan ["The Kingdom"]; art direction by 2005 Art Directors Guild Excellence Award winner A Todd Holland ["Team America: World Police", "The Island", "Jarhead" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"]; costume design by Susan Matheson ["Blue Crush", "Friday Night Lights" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"]; production design by Tom Duffield ["Ed Wood", "The Ring", "Welcome To The Jungle" and "The Weather Man"]; set decoration by Ron Reiss ["RoboCop 2", "Twister", "Any Given Sunday" and "The Shaggy Dog"]; director of photography Mauro Fiore A.S.C [Training Day", "Tears Of The Sun", "The Island" and "Smokin' Aces"]; original music by Danny Elfman ["Men in Black II", "Chicago", "Spider-Man 2" and "Charlotte's Web"]. Who's Who?

Jamie Foxx Chris Cooper Jennifer Garner Jason Bateman Ashraf Barhom Ali Suliman Omar Berdouni Raad Rawi Mahmoud Said Jeremy Piven Richard Jenkins Kyle Chandler Frances Fisher Trevor St John Ashley Scott Sarah Hunley

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Ronald Fleury Grant Sykes Janet Mayes Adam Leavitt Colonel Faris Al Ghazi Sergeant Haytham Prince Ahmed Bin Khaled Prince Thamer General Al Abdulmalik Damon Schmidt James Grace Francis Manner Elaine Flower Earl Ripon Janine Ripon Maddy Ripon

Run Time 149 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - UPI - All Rights Reserved ©2007 All Rights Reserved - The Movie Pages - Protected by Australian & International Copyright. Trademark Laws Apply.