By Ryan Parsons | Image property of Universal Pictures.
The Kingdom Poster
The first official reviews have begun to surface for The Kingdom and they couldn't disagree more.
Official Reviews for The Kingdom
If it wasn't for the positive screenings for The Kingdom -- even the ones to surface way back at the beginning of summer -- I would be partially worried by these mixed reviews. One publication sings praises while the other bashes it.
THR
"The Kingdom," about a terrorist attack in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, would seem to be another addition to the list of this fall's politically-charged movies. But unlike the upcoming "Rendition" or "In the Valley of Elah," Peter Berg's movie is no more than an action movie with an exotic backdrop. That would be fine, if only the movie were more exciting. It succeeds neither as a pointed political commentary nor as a taut thriller. With Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, and Jennifer Garner heading the cast, the movie should generate some healthy opening-weekend business. But its long-term prospects seem iffy.
Variety
Shouldn't terrorism be treated as crime -- that is, as a civil rather than military matter? It's a question that's at the heart of the Iraq War debate, and it's one raised loudly and clearly by "The Kingdom," a realist thriller that mixes crowd-pleasing mayhem with provocative politics. Although burdened by far more procedure than plot, this Jamie Foxx vehicle -- which owes a great deal to the high-caliber style of its co-producer, Michael Mann -- is quietly jingoistic, in a way guaranteed to sell auds on the idea that what's truly American is about more than disputed foreign policy.
Check out the full official reviews for The Kingdom by clicking the bold links above.
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