Out on Friday, The Kingdom is bookended by two set-piece action scenes that are truly exhilarating - up there with the final shoot-out in Children of God and the opening minutes of Saving Private Ryan. If you liked the street-war of Heat, you'll like this.
This intelligent, emotionally-satisfying action flick is directed by Peter Berg, a protoge of Michael Mann whose influence can be seen in the ear-thuddingly percussive soundtrack and nervous, energetic camera movement.
The film goes places few others dare to tread. At one point our hero - a moody, chiselled Jamie Foxx - shoots a 14 year old boy in the neck. Even John McClane would have a think before doing that. And when the comic sidekick starts to have his head sawn off you know you're watching something a bit more daring than the Hollywood norm.
There is a scene of simple beauty where we see two Arab policemen at home with their families. It is at once familiar and strange, and Danny Elfin's score contributes to what becomes the film's most effective call for cross-cultural unity. The political message - that we're all pretty much the same - is horribly over-played at the end but the fact it's there at all in what is essentially a revenge thriller is to be applauded.
There are gripes. Jason Bateman - he of Teenwolf Too - falls flat as the comic relief and Jennifer Garner seems to serve no other purpose than to annoy the locals with her breasts. But these are minor faults. The Kingdom is an interesting, technically-accomplished movie that will appeal to fans of the Bourne series and police procedural thrillers.
Similar to Bourne, it's a kick-ass action film with whoop-out-loud stunt sequences and ear-shattering noise. But on top of this it adds a nuanced political commentary on America's involvement in the Middle-East. That this survived the studio cut is the biggest surprise of all.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
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