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"I think we should expect the unexpected." Alan (Hanks) is a businessman who is struggling and who's life is falling apart. He is sent to Saudi Arabia in order to convince the king to use his company's technology. When he gets there it is not at all what he expected, and in the middle of the desert Alan begins to really discover who he is. This is a movie that isn't bad but really comes down to the fact that Tom Hanks is such a great actor that he carries the movie on his own. By that I mean that this movie isn't all that exciting and may not have been made if not for Hanks. He can turn a barely watchable movie into something much better than it should be just by his skills alone. Essentially his character spends his time waking up late and riding in a taxi only to be told that the king isn't here today. Over and over. The caliber of Hanks really adds depth and emotion to this character and makes the movie worth seeing. Very few actors can do that. Overall, an OK movie at best but Hanks makes this watchable and he is the real reason to watch this. I give it a B-.

'A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING': Three Stars (Out of Five)

The new quirky (and very bizarre) comedy-drama flick, from writer/director Tom Tykwer (who also wrote and directed the indie cult classic 'RUN LOLA RUN', and co-wrote and co-directed 'CLOUD ATLAS'). The lead of 'CLOUD ATLAS', Tom Hanks, stars in this movie as well. He plays a down on his luck American businessman, that travels to Saudi Arabia; to try and sell an idea of his to the government there. The movie co-stars Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury, Sidse Babett Knudsen and Tom Skerritt. It's based on the book, of the same name, by Dave Eggers. I really wanted to like this movie, but it's way too slow- paced and uninvolving.

The story is set in 2010 Saudi Arabia. A failed American businessman, named Alan Clay (Hanks), has traveled there, to try and make a business deal with a rich monarch. He's heartbroken, over a recent divorce with his wife, and thinks about his daughter constantly. Alan develops new relationships, during his business trip, as he desperately struggles to sell his product.

The movie is definitely very quirky and strange, and I love quirky and strange. It's also very slow-paced, meandering and uninvolving though. Hanks does his best in the lead, and the supporting cast is all good as well, but the film is just plain boring (it's hard to sit through). I like Tykwer's other work, especially 'CLOUD ATLAS' and 'RUN LOLA RUN', so I hope his next movie is a big improvement over this.

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I am not sure what I was expecting from this movie going in. Now that I have seen it, I am glad that my expectations were tempered. This movie lacked the traditional intensity that a Tom Hanks film usually delivers. I can't put my finger on just what I didn't like about the film. Was it the fact that this movie couldn't decide if it was a love story, or a comedy? Or that the underdevelopment of the characters left me scratching my head. Or that the storytelling seemed rushed in slow moving manner. In any case, I was disappointed in this movie when I walked out of the theater. I was a little surprised that Hanks even took this role after reading the script. This movie was beneath his talent. Anybody could have played the part and done just as well.

The name Tom Hanks is synonymous with big budget non-CGI films with good acting. "A Hologram for the King" from 2016 stars Hanks, has some beautiful scenery, but really no point that I could see. It was based on a successful novel, and I suppose someone thought it would make a good movie.

Hanks is divorced businessman Alan Clay, who goes to Saudi Arabia to seal a deal - the company he works for wants to sell a holographic teleconferencing system for a new city being built in the desert, and he is to give a demonstration to the King. He's in a financial crunch; his daughter hasn't been able to attend college, though she doesn't mind delaying it.

When he arrives in Saudi Arabia, he runs into delays - the King isn't in town, and no one knows when he's supposed to show up. Clay's team is housed in a tent with poor wi-fi and has to bring food from the hotel. He can't get any answers from anybody about anything.

During the time he is there, he connects with his driver Yousef (Alexander Black) and also meets a female doctor (Sarita Choudhury), who treats a large cyst in his back.

The rest of the time he drinks like a fish, almost becomes involved with a Danish contractor named Hanne (Sidse Babett Knudsen), and goes on a hunt for wolves disturbing a flock of sheep with Yousef.

Finally, he does meet with his point person there, and his team has food, air conditioning, and wi-fi. But there is so little time spent on the reason he's there in the film, it doesn't matter to the viewer.

I guess this was supposed to be a story of Americans doing business or being in another culture, but this culture isn't even correctly represented. His involvement with a married female doctor is impossible, as is her presence alone with him in his hotel room.

The story has some holes, including that the Hanks character is staying in Jeddah, but is told that the person he wants to see isn't in town -he's in Jeddah. Hello?

This is a script that forgot what it was about, whatever it was about. For some reason the book was well-received. Didn't make a good film, even if it did star Tom Hanks.

Good entertainment but Halaam not reflecting the real Saudi people &culture. Even though some of the characteristics and incidents are well performed, it's for the sake of performance without meaning and I found it uncomfortable. Making sure no bomb each time before starting engine? Massive disco party in Danish Embassy ? Female Muslim doctor checking foreigner? Taxi driver with desire of democratic movement...... What? Where is the beautiful Isramic spirit of giving and welcoming? Not a single scene... Directors must have had unwilling bitter personal experiences in Saudi / with Arabic people.

It's American film for American people. I am very well convinced that most of the scenes were filmed in Morrocco, not in Saudi.