http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/ movie reviews, news and discussion Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:07:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/#comment-356 Helen Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:19:36 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/#comment-356 My read on the ending is that they were going for maximum emotional impact, and just weren't original enough to come up with any other way to achieve it. At least I prefer to interpret it that way; while I liked the movie, it was too generic to support a "deep" message. My read on the ending is that they were going for maximum emotional impact, and just weren’t original enough to come up with any other way to achieve it. At least I prefer to interpret it that way; while I liked the movie, it was too generic to support a “deep” message.

]]> http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/#comment-355 Miriam Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:50:22 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/#comment-355 I like the "In the Heat of the Desert" comparison, that's very apt. It is an enjoyable movie because of the developing relationship between the two main characters. I hope we have a chance to see Barhom again, I thought his character/performance made the movie. Which made the ending all the more annoying. This is not a James Bond movie, for crying out loud, so there's no formula requirement that the second banana has to die. I don't demand a happy ending on every movie, but with as awkwardly contrived ending as this one why not just wound the nice guys if you need some blood. Unless the whole point of the contrivance is to make some political point that moderates in the Arab world are all doomed. A dubious and heavy load for a middling crime thriller. I like the “In the Heat of the Desert” comparison, that’s very apt. It is an enjoyable movie because of the developing relationship between the two main characters. I hope we have a chance to see Barhom again, I thought his character/performance made the movie. Which made the ending all the more annoying. This is not a James Bond movie, for crying out loud, so there’s no formula requirement that the second banana has to die. I don’t demand a happy ending on every movie, but with as awkwardly contrived ending as this one why not just wound the nice guys if you need some blood. Unless the whole point of the contrivance is to make some political point that moderates in the Arab world are all doomed. A dubious and heavy load for a middling crime thriller.

]]> http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/#comment-354 Liz Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:42:27 +0000 http://commentarytrack.com/2008/01/15/dvd-of-the-week-the-kingdom/#comment-354 Is there some Jennifer Garner/Jason Bateman connection I'm not aware of? First Juno, now this. Are they the latter-day, postmodern Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan? Oh please oh please oh please. Is there some Jennifer Garner/Jason Bateman connection I’m not aware of? First Juno, now this. Are they the latter-day, postmodern Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan? Oh please oh please oh please.

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