Movie Review: The Kingdom

I love getting lots of free screening tickets. "The Kingdom" doesn't come out until Sept 28.

Think "CSI: Saudi Arabia" meets the computer game "Rainbow Six".

The movie opens with a brief history of Saudi Arabia and it's relationship with the United States. We then move to a terrorist attack on an oil company's employee compound. Jump to the US where the CIA wants to send a team to investigate but since Americans in Saudi Arabia is what the terrorists are trying to get rid of we're not going to send anyone and further destabilize a government that gives us cheap oil.
The CIA manages to send a team anyway. The movie becomes an ongoing conflict between the investigators and the Saudi security forces. Some kind words to a prince and things loosen up. The investigation moves on with the help of some Saudis who have no idea what the Americans are doing since they don't do forensic investigations.
Having found what they need they go after the terrorists. Then, on the way to the airport, they're attacked and someone is kidnapped. This leads up to a huge battle at the end.

This was a really good movie. Much better than the trailers make it out. They just play up the action, which is better than the trailers show. You get a good idea of what life in Saudi Arabia is really like, at least for the military folk. The audience really got into it.

Trailers: http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/thekingdom/

As much as I rave about this movie I don't feel the need to see it again. I won't get it on DVD.