The politics of killing

out-of-the-ordinary From The Kingdom Whoa! Here’s an action thriller set in the modern day context of the U.S. and the Islamic World that does not simplify the plot into a good-versus-evil tale. The Kingdom could’ve easily ended up becoming one of those ji ngoistic Black Hawk Downs where a handful of Americans shoot the hell out of hundreds of terrorists by going Rambo in their neighbourhood, and emerge as war heroes. The kind of films where we’re supposed to feel sorry for the injured Americans instead of the large number of dead rebels.

For a large part of the film, The Kingdom seems like one of these movies. Until the last scene, that is. The final scene juxtaposition puts the politics of hate and revenge in perspective and absolves The Kingdom of the guilt of hero-worshipping Americans to a great degree.

As the opening credits roll out, Peter Berg quickly illustrates the equations between America, Saudi Arabia and the relationship as defined by oil more than religion. That done, it’s time to show an American facility bombed by meticulous planning.

Special agents know they need to get to the spot to investigate the attack and the team of four led by Fleury (Foxx) flies down to the kingdom to get cracking within the five days extracted out of diplomatic arm-twisting.

Yes, apparently the Americans are cleverer and are better equipped to handle investigations than the Saudi police. And the three men-one woman army is enough for an entire hub of terrorists. Such Hollywood clichés later, all hell breaks loose.

What’s commendable though is the streak of humour running through the narrative especially in the bond between Foxx and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Faris Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhom). Genuinely funny and heart-warming.

Berg builds up the tension quite nicely and saves up all the explosive blowing-up-the-bad-guys-in-their-own-backyard action for the very end.

A truly out-of-the-ordinary action flick.

The Kingdom Genre Thriller Director Peter Berg Cast Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper Storyline A team of special agents head to Saudi Arabia to investigate the bombing of an American facility Bottomline Explosive. Dynamite action