The most disturbing aspect of the film is that rather than taking you to a realm of fiction, it firmly grounds the audience in reality.

“The Kingdom” has a certain element that makes it hard to watch. Not that it is boring or unoriginal, but the current state of the world seems to make this film remind you that the times we live in are anything but OK.

Jamie Foxx stars as Ronald Fluery, a FBI special terrorist agent assigned to figure out what went down after a terrorist bombing leaves hundreds dead in Saudi Arabia. Joining him are his fellow agents, played by Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman. The team has five days to go in and figure out what went down.

As the team tries to find those responsible for the attacks, they face difficulties from the natives as well as the government. The team explores many different angles of how the attack was carried out and to what methods were employed against the victims.

However, their presence doesn’t go unnoticed, as they find themselves the target of those responsible.

The most disturbing aspect of the film is that rather than taking you to a realm of fiction, it firmly grounds the audience in reality. From the shaky camera shots to the geopolitical atmosphere, you feel inserted within the tension of a post Sept. 11 world. Some scenes are hard to watch because they parallel real world events.

The film feels slow and uninteresting at times. Rather than the team successfully tracking down those responsible, they end up being caught in the middle of an ambush.

Is the viewer supposed to discern that the best way to track down radical extremists is to paint a giant target on your back and go wandering around waiting for someone to shoot at you?

It feels like a large cop out to put in so much effort to try and track someone down, just to be attacked by someone who would logically be trying their hardest not to draw attention to themselves.

Small complaints aside, “The Kingdom” shows us that the world can be a dangerous place filled with those who fight for us and those who fight against us. “The Kingdom” succeeds at bringing the reality of the world to our eyes to show us that there are two sides to every story.

The methods behind the movie may feel contrived, but it’s still a fun popcorn flick regardless. If anything, “The Kingdom” will keep you gripped to your seat just waiting for what will come next. Although it may disturb some, it stands as an example of just how far our war on terror has progressed.

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