Blu-ray Movie Reviews

A high-intensity thriller about a team of elite FBI agents sent to Saudi Arabia to solve a brutal mass murder and find a killer before he strikes again. Out of their element and under heavy fire, the team must join forces with their Saudi counterparts. As these unlikely allies begin to unlock the secrets of the crime scene, the team is led into a heart-stopping, do-or-die confrontation.

It is easy for great films to get past over when they dwell on unpopular subjects. Such is the case with The Kingdom, an exceptional action thriller that has some unsettling political messages. The film follows a FBI team into the kingdom of Saudi Arabia after a bombing takes place in an America oil worker’s compound. Things get out of hand though once the team gets on the ground. Director Peter Berg and producer Michael Mann deliver an intense political thriller that reminds me a lot of Mann’s directorial efforts in intensity and production. There is a constant sense of tension through most of the film that escalates near the end to almost unsettling levels. The photography is also classic Mann style with tight angles and great character coverage. Despite not being that popular at the box office I really enjoyed this one and would recommend it to any political action fan.

This was one of the last HD DVD releases from Universal and the quality of the image seems to be identical to that strong presentation. Fine detail is superb throughout and the sense of depth and dimension is incredible at times. Contrast levels have been boosted significantly and colors are slightly oversaturated, which seems to be a popular filming style nowadays. Fine film grain is preserved nicely and I never say anything resembling compression issues or print damage. A reference video transfer.

The previous HD release of this film included a full bitrate Dolby Digital Plus mix but this Blu-ray continues Universal’s support of DTS-HD Master Audio. In direct comparison I didn’t notice a huge difference between the mixes but the new mix is slightly lower in volume. This is a demanding mix with extensive use of the surround soundstage and the lower end of the audible sound field. Bass extension is deep and the action scenes in this film take full advantage of it with even some nice infrasonic effects. The gunfight at the end of the film is one of the best I’ve seen on film and delivers rich dynamics and an engrossing sound field that makes it even more unsettling to watch. The dialogue of the film is balanced nicely in the mix, but I did notice some slight strain from time to time.

Extras are largely the same as the previous HD DVD release and include extensive use of the U-Control interface. Using this picture-in-picture interface you can browse insights into the subject matter of the film including the history of the volatile area and operations. There is also a special effects break down that gives you a look at some key action sequences in different stages of development or from different views. A video commentary also provides insight into the production, interviews and behind the scenes footage throughout the film.

Standard features include a feature commentary with director Peter Berg, deleted scenes, a history of Saudi Arabia and some more production insights including the intense highway sequence.

It is a shame that this film didn’t get that much attention during its theatrical run. I loved the production value, story and presentation making this Blu-ray one of my must owns.