I don’t know much about the movie The Kingdom that comes out today other than it involves Americans looking for a terrorists in Saudi Arabia. That means its inevitably going to have some political content, and knowing the leanings of movie reviewers, the only way I’m going to like it is if they hate it.
Well, with 69 reviews so far, it has a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes (29% from Cream of the Crop — read extra liberal). So far so good. So what are the blurbs of the negative reviews:
“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.”
I’m guessing “basest 9/11 anxieties” translates to “awesomest motivation to kill terrorists.”
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.
Because everyone want to go to an action movie for a left-wing foreign policy lecture.
“If Frank Capra had ever made a Rambo movie, it would have looked like this.”
How in the world is that a blurb for a negative review?
I left the theater completely uncertain about what the filmmakers intended to say about the orgiastic bloodshed they showed me. The Kingdom is an explosion of rage in search of a rationale.
That sounds like the description of every good action movie.
“This is fertile ground for an invigorating exploration of Saudi-American interaction, but the whole thing eventually devolves into a run-of-the-mill shoot ’em up.”
Do these people even know what an action movie is? Did they come out of Die Hard complaining there wasn’t enough of a dissection of corporate America?
“Where pic goes astray is in turning anonymous, indigenous peoples into ducks at a shooting gallery.”
Is “indigenous peoples” a euphemism for for’ners?
“A high-budget episode of “The A Team” crossed with “24” and a sort of “CSI: Riyadh” until a few minutes at the end try to tack on some larger meaning. It just shows how thin the material in the rest of the film is by contrast.”
Again, how does saying a movie is a cross between the The A Team, 24, and CSI constitute a negative review? Do they understand most people like those shows and hate liberal weenies?
To be cautious, let’s look for danger signs in the positive reviews:
“The picture is made with a degree of care, and what’s surprising about it is the way [director] Berg actually resists making rah-rah jingoistic proclamations instead of relying on them.
Because the last thing I want is to see a movie in which people are proud to be Americans.
“The Kingdom is the anti-Syriana: yes, it says, the Middle East is very, very complicated, but Americans have solved tougher problems, thanks very much.”
I would have expected that to be the blurb for a negative review based on the others.
“A surprisingly nuanced exploration of the sincere desire held by many in this country to make the US the good guy around the globe — the white knight superpower.”
Aiieee! Nuance!
“The Kingdom is such a strong entertainment, such a substantial ‘us vs. them’ example of wish fulfillment that it’s easy to ignore the many mixed messages.”
He probably just projected mixed message in there so he could enjoy the fun explosions.
Anyway, my guess from reading the reviews is that you will very much enjoy this movie. Plus, it’s got Jason Bateman from Arrested Development; how can you go wrong?
I was thinking the same, but after finding out that the writer, Matthew Carnahan, is an uber-liberal Hollywood type that is also the guy that wrote the anti-war Lions for Lambs, I’m having second thoughts…
“This is fertile ground for an invigorating exploration of Saudi-American interaction…”
What the heck?! Yeah, that’s what I’m looking for in a movie. Puhleeze.
I’m thinking this movie will go on our list of must-sees. It was filmed a couple miles from here (that whole city is a set they built right down the street). Plus as Joey says “Hey, Micheal’s in it!” and he knows I loooove Jason Bateman.
Duh, that was me.
RightWingTrash has the goods:
http://rightwingtrash.com/
Apparently it’s thumbs up.
Jennifer Garner is usually fun to look at too. Bonus points if she kills terrorists.
Remember what the libtard reviewers said about 300? That movie proved what a bunch of douchebag idiots the reviewers are in the first 3 weeks.
My thinking is, if you’re worried about funding a libtard writer, you download that b1tch off the internet, or wait til it comes out on DVD, purchase the movie, and then sell it back to those places that buy already seen movies.
One thing I’ve noticed about libtard movie writers; as much as they TRY to write anti-conservative/anit-war movies, the message ends up as coming across that they HAVE to resort to violence to fix things, something the nutroots will deny vehemently while threatening to harm/kill those that don’t agree with them. DING! Can you say big fat bunch o’ hypocrites?
Well I have given up on the whole “movie theater” experience. Not only are most of the new movies pretty sucky, but so are the theaters.
I have a nice TV, and in my home I can pause, rewind, drink beer, and if the film is bad enough (or good enough, wink wink) I can just stop it halfway through and have sex with my wife.
So I won’t worry about this movie, at least not for now. When it is on Encore and I can DVR it, THEN let me figure out if it is worth the 2 hours of HD space or not.
“The Kingdom is the anti-Syriana”… words words words…
I haven’t seen Syriana and don’t want to, so that is a good thing to me.
“Jennifer Garner is usually fun to look at too. Bonus points if she kills terrorists.”
Ditto
“I have a nice TV, and in my home I can pause, rewind, drink beer”
And not have to pay $50 for snacks either, sit on your own couch that’s broken in right.
http://www.debbieschlussel.com/ Take Debbie’s test as she reviewed it and is on to the propaganda. You will pass the test with flying colors. I have confidence in you.
Corn? You mean government-subsidized, genetically-modified, banned-in-Europe, multinational agribusiness, inflated-by-ethanol corn? Me, too.
Hubby and I saw The Kingdom last night, and while it’s very hard to watch (I cried a lot), it’s a good movie. It’s just a shame that Jason Bateman’s character was a bit of an ass. The exposition was the best part, imo.
My wife and I saw an early preview of The Kingdom, and it was pretty good. I was pleasantly surprised to walk out angry at Islamic terrorists and not Hollywood.
You can watch the keen opening sequence in HD Quicktime for free at http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/thekingdom.html
My really liberal friend in NYC gave this movie a big thumbs up! I’m gonna see it! Exclamation point!
Heads up–Schlussel is waaaaay off-base about the Kingdom. No, its not completely pro-American, but it is certainly more so than most other films you will see about the War on Terror this Oscar season (it even has the audacity to bring up the USS Cole and American Embassy bombings–show me another Hollywood movie that would do that). When an audience actually cheers at a scene were terrorists are killed–that’s a movie that’s done right by this country. And there are other ways to interpret the last lines spoken by the terrorist’s grandchild and Jamie Foxx’s character.
Also, Schlussel gets NUMEROUS details wrong in her review. Foxx says the last line to Bateman not his son. Saudi leadership is blackmailed into letting the FBI in–they do not invite them. Foxx isn’t the one that tells Garner to “dial down the boobies”–an American diplomat played by Jeremy Piven is. Her gender is an issue–she is NOT invited to the dinner with the Saudi Prince. In fact, Garner’s character is specifically told she is not welcome. And Schlussel disparages Bateman’s acting, which is just nuts. His performance is both hilarious (as always) and gut-wrenching. I have a hard time taking her seriously when she botches so many plot points. (and I can’t take any critic who doesn’t like Jason Bateman seriously–I mean come on–he was Michael Bluth for God’s sake!)
And I have to be honest, her constant offense-taking at any implication that we have things in common with Muslims/Saudis does border on bigotry to me. The movie in no way suggest all Saudis are good–its suggests some are which any reasonable person would assume to be true.
I predict conservatives will really enjoy this movie at it is far more complex and thoughtful than critics (both liberal and Schlussel) are giving it credit for.
Oh, also. Michael Carnahan has reportedly been VERY upset over the changes made to his script to remove liberal propaganda (though of course that’s not how he put it.)