Release Date: 12/23/07

The Film

Sorry if it seems like I’m a little late on this comment, but I guess Jamie Foxx has made somewhat of a name for himself in Hollywood. From his days on the irreverent television series, In Living Color, to becoming one the silver screen’s leading men, Foxx has made his mark with films likes Collateral where he played opposite Tom Cruise and his unforgettable Ray. His latest outing on DVD, The Kingdom, shows that the man can clearly lead an ensemble cast amidst an entertaining film containing political drama and terrorism action.

Ronald Fleury (Foxx) leads a team of 4 FBI agents made up a varied cast of characters into Saudi Arabia to investigate the vicious bombing of an American compound full of innocent victims playing softball. Janet Mayes (Jennifer Garmer) is the tough resident female. Grant Sykes (Scott Cooper) is the down and dirty southerner that takes no guff. Adam Leavitt (Jason Bateman) is the less than physically able wise ass. On a mission to find the mastermind behind the bombing, the group must tip toe the line of bureaucratic red tape and the great cultural divide.

I’ll admit the film’s character development is on the lacking side as everyone is more or less one dimensional, with the exception of Colonel Al Ghazi (Ashraf Barhouf). The movie kicks off with a brutal bombing scene and the meat of the film essentially builds up to a concluding shoot out that I found satisfying for a movie of this type. Don’t go into The Kingdom expecting a completely different view on world politics, and you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.

The DVD

The main menu comes with an animated background featuring clips from the film and music. Submenus include static backgrounds and music.

The video is offered in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. Flawless! There isn’t a single defect found on the screen and all bright and vibrant colors make the numerous landscapes and explosions come to life. Detail levels are spot on and blacks are solid.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. Along with the video, the audio really pops with ruckus bass that will keep your subwoofer healthy and plenty of positional sound to keep your immersed in the dogfights. Rockets zooming behind your head from left to right never sounded so good. Subtitles are offered in English, French, and Spanish.

The Extras

Audio Commentary is provided by director Peter Berg.

Character by Character: The Apartment Shootout is broken down into 4 options following the 4 groups (Fleury & Al Ghazi, Janet Mayes, Adam Leavitt, and Sykes & Haytham) during the scene with a Play All option. It seems like these were rough cuts with slightly alternative dialogue.

Constructing the Freeway Sequence runs about 18-minutes and offers a technical look at how the scene was put together from animatics to filming. Interviews with the cast and crew are offered as they offer their take on the scene and its place in the film.

Creating The Kingdom offers a 35-minute feature broken down into 8 options. The making-of piece includes on set looks and interviews with the cast and crew.

The bonus options round out with 11-minutes of Deleted Scenes. Some are extensions or alternatives to existing scenes in the film. Also included is History of The Kingdom: An Interactive Timeline.

Final Thoughts

I found The Kingdom to be an exciting action movie. Jamie Foxx manages to shine as does Cooper, Garner, and Bateman in this well paced popcorn film. Buy or rent, you will not be bored with this DVD.

- Morris Tang