Peter Berg is a fantastic director. He has given us great films such as “The Notebook,” “Friday Night Lights” and “The Rundown.” Now he brings us “The Kingdom.” 

“The Kingdom” centers on the investigation of the bombing of an American housing compound in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  FBI Special Agent Ronald Fluerry (Jamie Foxx) secretly negotiates a deal for him and a team of FBI agents (Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman) to sneak into the country to try to catch the bombers.

They are only allowed to stay for five days and quickly learn that the way things are done in Saudi Arabia is nothing like in America. However, they find an unlikely ally in Col. Al-Ghazi (Asharf Barhoum). He also wants to catch the bombers and helps the team get their investigation under way.
          
Foxx continues to impress as Fluerry. He brings both a fierce determination to his mission as well as a very sympathetic, human aspect to his character when dealing with his son back home. Garner has a similar approach to her role as Agent Mayes. She brings emotion to the film and manages to make for a nice foil against the harsh backdrop of the country. Cooper plays his character, Grant Sykes, like an old pro. And Borhoun totally shines as the Middle Eastern counterpart of Fluerry.
           
However, the real breakthrough performance goes to Bateman. Adam Leavitt is an intelligence analyst who doesn’t seem to understand why things are done the way they are, but he certainly wants to capture the bad guys. His performance near the film’s climax is amazing. With subtlety, he outperforms the other actors easily despite being only in a few key scenes.
           
The movie does have its flaws. It drags somewhat, and, sometimes, it’s questionable how accurate the portrayal of Saudi Arabia is. However, the movie is action-packed and filled with tension, and the final sequence is so intense it alone is worth the price of admission. Audiences are in for a great trip if they choose to enter “The Kingdom.”

Rating: 4/5