The history of U.S. oil interests and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the film is instructive and very well edited. The movie itself drags a bit after the opening salvo, but that is intended as it builds toward a bloodbath near the end. Jamie Foxx does a great job as the leader of a covert FBI team investigating a terrorist attack on an international oil enclave. The final words of the film are well worth the price of the journey. Chilling. Cautionary. Much too true.

Again, history of oil and the politics around it drove me to pick this up at blockbuster the other day. I wanted to see it in the theaters but missed it. This is Hollywood trying to tackle the serious political issue of our times, radical islamic fundamentalism and it’s interaction with our oil addiction and our friend/enemy Saudi Arabia. I was prepared for a white washing due to the big name stars (Jennifer Garner, Will Smith) and their previous focus on action over content. Was pleasantly surprised though. While not a philosophical tome, the balance between actual dramatic hard events and action came down in favor of the actual content. There is really only one action scene near the end and it is totally in context, not gratuitous.

Not as heavy and well acted as Syriana, a stand up job for a bunch of Hollywood hacks. Worth seeing. I rate 3 of 5 stars.