The Kingdom... and BTBS

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Slipstream said:
Awesome! I love hearing U2 in a movie, it makes it feel really unique and special. I suppose only a U2 fanatic would get what I mean. I don't think I've heard U2 in a movie actually since About a Boy. Here' is Trailer 2 for The Kingdom -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bhv8C9PCUII&mode=related&search=

Haha, but fortunately for you there's plenty of us around here who get exactly what you mean. And unfortunately COBL was used in the fuckin Devil Wears Prada, the movie was ok for what it was but the use of that song was blasphemy.
 
The song isn't in the movie

But it's a good movie, extremely violent obviously given the subject matter. The ending is quite powerful, I cried :reject: And I enjoyed seeing Jennifer Garner kicking butt again.
 
Just as I expected since they started advertising this forever ago, it's entertaining, if a tad xenophobic, but not a bold political thriller (ala Syriana, The Constant Gardener) but playing to the mainstream audiences that don't embrace projects like that (that's a little less blunt than A.O. Scott who called it Syriana for dummies) it's well directed but the screenplay is weak. I'm not sure now why they delayed it to fall rather than April, word was they thought it was so great it'd be an awards contender, not the case. Good for a 7/10, the gunfights, action, and some of the acting (particularly Chris Cooper as always) is well done for sure.
 
I also really liked Foxx's performance and Bateman's comic relief. I was surprised by Danny Elfman's involvement, and had no idea Danny Huston was in this. Also, the opening credits were stunning, and the Michael Mann influence was heavy, from the digital look, to the way the story was told with little exposition (quite similar to Miami Vice) and of course the authenticity and choreography of the gunfights.

The connections with Peter Berg were quite glaring, Berg worked with the writer's brother on Smokin' Aces, in which he starred with Jason Bateman, and Jeremy Piven, and he directed the movie version of Friday Night Lights and serves as a producer on the show which stars Kyle Chandler, who had a bit part in The Kingdom. Just some observations I had while watching this haha.
 
I saw The Kingdom. Pretty awful. Not a very action-driven film for those wanting the kind of fun of a Die Hard or Bourne Supermacy. It's kinda clumsily emotional and the characters are fairly black and white.

As the guest reviewer of Ebert and Roeper said, it feels like a pre-9/11 movie in not trying to explain any of the terrorists political motivations.

The action is at the start and the finish, and the US agents behave far more civilly in tense situations than US soldiers do and most human beings normally would.

Jennifer Garner is awful as usual, but she's given bad dialogue anyway. She does her usual eye squinting and pursed lips. She looks hot, though.

I liked the Entourage guy's one line to her.

Jason Bateman's character was the worst, insinuating stereotypical anti-semitism on the part of regular Saudi troops; even if they did dislike Israel, it's unlikely they would even hint at an issue in front of US agents. Generally, Bateman acts like the comic fodder with unfunny material.

Jamie Fox is okay, but, again, the character is cheesy.

I did really appreciate the final moments of the film for showing some commonality of hatred possible among both sides. It's a notch above racist Hollywood films of the 80s and 90s (like "True Lies") which only saw Arabs as terrorists, especially in comedic films.

Still, I didn't HATE it that much because I went in there knowing it had cast Jennifer Garner and the over-rated Jamie Fox.

Didn't notice Bullet the Blue Sky either.
 
Mrs. Springsteen I totally agree with your "location" that was highly disturbing.
 
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