As far as political thrillers go, "The Kingdom" does not disappoint, including tense government meetings, car chases and explosions that an audience might expect.
Revenge fuels the plot, which is neatly divided between good guys and bad guys in the War on Terror.
But at times the movie, which was partly filmed in Mesa at ASU's Polytechnic campus, goes beyond its genre, humanizing characters on both sides by showing their families.
The story centers on Special Agent Ronald Fleury (Jamie Foxx, "Ray," "Dreamgirls").
After a major terrorist attack on Americans living in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. government is in turmoil. While official policy is to keep out of the Middle East kingdom to protect oil interests, Fleury and a quirky trio of fellow agents manage to get around White House decisions. Once on the ground, they team up with a Saudi police chief to find out who is responsible for the attack and bring them to justice.
Chris Cooper ("Syriana"), Jennifer Garner ("Alias") and Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development") play Fleury's fellow agents.
With its focus on current events, some of the images in "The Kingdom" seem like they could have come from CNN.
Action drives the film, keeping the plot moving at a steady pace.
With its premise of U.S.-Saudi relations, the beginning credits bring the audience up to speed on the intricate history between the two countries. From here, the
American agents' intense investigation and hunt to find the terrorists takes off.
It is when the movie moves beyond the action and political tensions that it shines, though. Scenes of terrorist leaders teaching their children and grandchildren to hate stir audience emotions. The Saudi government is shown in positive and negative lights, balancing popular ideas of corruption and oppression with characters that exemplify patriotism and honor.
In the end, the audience is left unsure of where the Kingdom really belongs in the War on Terror.
From the opening scenes, the message is clear that the U.S.-Saudi alliance is one based more on oil than common ideals. Cultural differences and animosity are apparent, as well. These only serve to further the message of the film: American expertise is necessary to successfully end terrorism in the Middle East.
Overall, "The Kingdom" is enjoyable action and occasionally raises interesting questions about the nature of war in the Middle East.
While it almost crosses the line to become pro-American propaganda, the film also features some positive Arab characters. It's likely that this film is more fiction than fact, but it makes the most of this imbalance to create an entertaining thriller.
Reach the reporter at: claudia.koerner@asu.edu.
