Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

As Serious Film, 'Kingdom' Falls

Unrealistic action movie doesn't carry the weight it wants to, critics say

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 28, 2007 11:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Kingdom, starring Jamie Foxx and directed by Peter Berg, wants to be a thoughtful action movie about terrorism—part Rambo, part Syriana, muses the Washington Post. Instead, Newsday says, it's a “clamorous and patronizing” popcorn flick, that EW calls “shameless” in pushing... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite

Oosp: Romney's New App Misspells 'America'

Rotten Tomatoes (Source Grid »)

The Reviews

Film patronizes, plays on 9/11 anxieties
Newsday

Shamelessly treats audience as 'cash-dispensing machines'
Entertainment Weekly

Kingdom is vengeance fantasy
Village Voice

It's flawed, but it's trying
Salon

Berg ratchets up action
Rolling Stone

Berg wants to pretend he made a different movie
Newsweek

Entertainment • Celebrity • US

movie review • Jamie Foxx • Peter Berg • Kingdom • movies

More Newser Stories

Men in Black 3 : Better Than the First?

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones return for alien flick

(NEWSER) - Sure, no one was that desperate for a Men in Black 3—but it's actually a pretty good summer movie. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are back defending the planet from aliens, and this time, Josh Brolin's along for the ride as a young Jones.

The movie "turns out to be so much fun," writes AO Scott in the New York Times . While it "carefully fulfills its blockbuster imperatives—with chases and explosions and elaborately contrived plot twists—it swerves into some marvelously silly, unexpectedly witty, and genuinely fresh territory."

Dark Shadows Has Charm, No Substance

Johnny Depp stars in Tim Burton film

(NEWSER) - Critics aren't thrilled with Tim Burton's latest offering, inspired by the late-1960s cult TV show of the same name and starring Johnny Depp as an 18th-century vampire who is buried alive, only to be accidentally dug up in 1972. The film isn't sure what it wants to be:

Dark Shadows "tries to serve too many masters," writes Joe Neumaier in the New York Daily News . "Initially it’s an epic valentine to the show. Then it’s a vamp-out-of-water story. Soon it’s a gung-ho comedy. Finally it's a monster flick." Still, it "unearths enough fun."

Critics Agree: Avengers a Blast

Joss Whedon directs Robert Downey Jr. in superhero blowout

(NEWSER) - Sure, it's an effective moneymaking scheme: release movies about individual superheroes, then one about all of them. But with Joss Whedon at the helm, The Avengers really works. What critics are saying:

"Even if you don't particularly like comic-book adaptations, this film just might make a believer of you," writes Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times . "Whedon is the key reason why this $220 million behemoth of a movie is smartly thought out and executed with verve and precision."

Five-Year Engagement a Bit Drawn Out

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt star in truthful romantic comedy

(NEWSER) - The Five-Year Engagement clocks in at over two hours, which is a bit too long for many critics. But its honesty about relationships makes the Jason Segel-Emily Blunt rom-com stand out from the pack.

"Because it's so willing to drill down into Tom and Violet's misery, The Five-Year Engagement involves a higher grim-to-grin ratio than its fluffier brethren," writes Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post . "But there's an unmistakable ring of truth to the couple's conflicts and mixed feelings."

American Reunion 'Should Be Last Slice of Pie '

'American Pie' cast returns for comedy about getting older

(NEWSER) - The latest installment in the American Pie franchise brings back Jason Biggs and Seann William Scott—but it doesn't bring anything new to the table. It's the same story of sexual anxiety, but this time with thirty-somethings.

"Remember American Pie? If you do, this movie is redundant and sad. If you don’t, it’s irrelevant," writes AO Scott in the New York Times .
"Everyone in the ensemble keeps pushing the woebegone nostalgia angle, pining for lost youth, eager to reactivate now-dormant sex lives," writes Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune . "Every other line, it seems, refers to 'back in the day' or 'wasn't this more fun when we were younger?'"

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

As Serious Film, 'Kingdom' Falls

Unrealistic action movie doesn't carry the weight it wants to, critics say

The Reviews

movie review • Jamie Foxx • Peter Berg • Kingdom • movies

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Men in Black 3 : Better Than the First?

Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones return for alien flick

Dark Shadows Has Charm, No Substance

Johnny Depp stars in Tim Burton film

Critics Agree: Avengers a Blast

Joss Whedon directs Robert Downey Jr. in superhero blowout

Five-Year Engagement a Bit Drawn Out

Jason Segel, Emily Blunt star in truthful romantic comedy

American Reunion 'Should Be Last Slice of Pie '

'American Pie' cast returns for comedy about getting older

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?