The blam-blam histrionics devalue the verity.
Comment
09/27/07
The Kingdom (2007)
51
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:181
Fresh:92
Rotten:89
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: While providing several top-notch action scenes, The Kingdom ultimately collapses under the weight of formula and muddled politics.
Theatrical Release:05-10-2007
Synopsis: Actor, writer, and director Peter Berg (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) delivers a fearless, action-packed political thriller with THE KINGDOM. Shot in the Middle East with unsettling immediacy, the hand-held... [More]
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman
Director: Peter Berg
Reviews for The Kingdom
141 - 160 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
One electrifying performance becomes the only saving grace of The Kingdom, a goofy action movie that tries to marry the blitzkrieg entertainment of Rambo to the cultural consciousness of Syriana.
09/27/07
A message movie without a soul or a solid cinematic framework to make the impact it intends.
09/27/07
Noisy and empty-headed, but flashy enough to remain entertaining.
09/27/07
This is not an issue film nearly as much as it is a thriller. As it turns out, that's a good thing.
09/27/07
This is loose history but gripping drama, an action thrill ride ready-made for C.S.I. Nation, braced with stunning shoot-outs and chases.
09/27/07
Screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan wants us to know that there are good Arabs and bad Arabs, but he panders to our basest 9/11 anxieties.
09/27/07
[A] stripped-down, no-nonsense reality alarm about cycles of hate and violence that we must be fully cognizant of if we're ever to break them.
09/27/07
Quickly degenerates from a serious topical tale about twenty-first century terrorism into a jingoistic gung-ho shoot-'em-up.
09/27/07
...the movie's ending shoves any rah-rahs right back into your throat.
09/27/07
The Kingdom doesn’t think much of its audience; it’s one of those movies that shows flashbacks of things that happened 30 minutes earlier, in case we forgot. It retains its patronizing tone for the drama as well as the comedy.
09/27/07
Basically a Rambo retread outfitted with a thin veneer of topical import.
09/26/07
one of those films that tries to be a little bit of everything, and for the most part succeeds, even if audiences may not be able to survive the cinematic whiplash.
09/26/07
Both discordant and disingenuous, this faux-profound final note suggests that Berg and screenwriter Matthew Michael Carnahan don't know what kind of movie they've actually made -- or would like to pretend they've made another kind.
09/26/07
If the jingoism that permeates the latter half of The Kingdom does not sufficiently sour the experience of watching it, then the film's closing sentiments about the eternality of vengeance will surely do the trick.
09/26/07
The film is smart and engaging, and if it plays a little on our fears of the next big terrorist attack, it does so without feeling exploitative.
09/26/07
Shot in the 115-degree heat of Arizona and on location in Abu Dhabi, it has a visual intensity and intimacy reminiscent of Michael Mann.
09/26/07
A Big, Important movie that feels much more successful when it downshifts into a simple genre picture -- in this case, a rock 'em, sock 'em action flick. Given the relevance of its subject matter, this is a bit of a problem.
09/26/07
It's an adrenaline rush that tickles the brain cells.
09/26/07
So shameless is The Kingdom, ignoring consequence and treating its audience like cash-dispensing machines with buttons to be pushed rather than thinking individuals willing to consider the reality of America's entanglement with the Middle East.
09/26/07
Latest News for The Kingdom
March 04, 2008:
Rush Hour 3 Takes '07 DVD Rental Crown
It may not have been quite the box-office phenomenon that its predecessors were -- and critics may have disliked it enough to keep it down at 20 percent on the Tomatometer --... More...
January 18, 2008:
Down but Not Out, HD DVD Soldiers On
The clock hasn't stopped ticking on the format, but HD DVD consumers can look forward to seeing new films on store shelves -- for at least the next few months, anyway. More...
January 10, 2008:
Amy Ryan and Greg Kinnear Join Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon in the Green Zone
"Making a movie about the war in Iraq" is quickly turning into just another way of saying "losing tons of money at the box office," but director Paul Greengrass isn't letting... More...
December 24, 2007:
RT on DVD: Rush Hour 3, The Kingdom, and More!
There's action and drama to be found this week, and not just with your family at Christmas dinner. And if you couldn't make it out of town for the holidays, you're in luck; this... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds