Not Quite Fit for a King

Terrorism, at least on the surface, is a pretty senseless act. It's often marked by big, loud actions that do nothing more than disrupt an otherwise peaceful existence. Though this analysis might be weak and simplistic, I find it an apt way to begin a review of The Kingdom because similarly, the movie is often big and loud, and on the surface, it's pretty empty.

Kingdom tells how a group of FBI agents go to Saudi Arabia to investigate a terrorist bombing in an American compound by an Osama bin Laden wannabe. It stars Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Chris Cooper, but none of those folks — not even my beloved Jennifer Garner — give a performance that makes much of an impact. Jeremy Piven's also in the film, but he seems totally miscast. He's playing an ambassador, but I kept giggling every time he was on screen waiting for him to bust out an Ari Gold–ism.

Which is not to say The Kingdom is a bad movie necessarily. But it sets everything up and then in about 15 minutes it blows up into explosions, chases and gunplay, and then it's over. Essentially, it turns a timely setting into a convenient place for an action flick. And it's a good last 15 minutes, but sort of a waste nevertheless. So I'm giving The Kingdom a B-. Sorry, Jen.