Not as fascinating as "Absolute Power" or as timeless, this political thriller deals with the secret service's attempt to figure out who among their staff is trying to assassinate president David Rasche which leads to a bunch of overdone action sequences including an attack on a shopping mall and intrigue between agents Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland and Eva Longoria erupts. The film move swiftly and there is plenty of action, but a subplot involving Douglas's affair with first lady Kim Basinger just doesn't add the erotic trails that the audience presumably was looking for. We've seen Douglas in this predicament many times before with dangerous Black Widow type women, and wild Basinger is dignified for show, you begin to wonder if her character is behind everything going on behind the scenes to get rid of a husband we really don't get to see all that much.
Once again, there is an overuse of dramatic music that's supposed to make you feel tense and involved, and after a while, it's once again a repeat of a elements in a film that we've seen far too often. The film certainly does maintain attention, but it's your run-of-the-mill matinee type thriller that's easily forgotten once it's all over. Once again, it's showing us the corruption of the government which basically just makes you say, yeah, we know they are corrupt, Now show us something we don't know. Sutherland's character is completely unlikable, totally just respectful to Longoria and instantly treating her with contempt.
We're supposed to respect a part of the government that's very important when we see that they have people like this in positions of power. Douglas too is a bad example of people misusing their power and you really don't get enough of Basinger and Rasche to feel an interest in their story. So when the action stops even though the film does remain intense, there's an anxiousness for the film to just wrap everything up so you can move on to something more substantial. This is another been there, done that political thriller with lots of action and explosions and intense music, and the feeling of familiarity that reminds you of films that were all so much better. I initially got this film thinking it was a remake of the 1977 horror film and that was another disappointment when I realized that it had nothing to do with that supernatural classic and indeed began to wonder why they just didn't come up with another title.
Plot summary
A secret service agent is framed as the mole in an assassination attempt on the president. He must clear his name and foil another assassination attempt while on the run from a relentless FBI agent.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
March 08, 2019 at 05:39 AM
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I guess if the president's gonna cheat, so can the first lady.
An actual White House thriller without blowing it up
Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is a secret service agent assigned to protect the First Lady. David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland) is a former protégé investigating an assassination of an agent. Jill Marin (Eva Longoria) is the rookie working under Breckinridge. Garrison receives intel of a plot to assassinate the President.
In White House thrillers these days, the White House usually gets blown up. I'm glad this isn't that kind of a movie. This is a thriller of characters not theatrical explosions. Just to extend the point, the climax happens in Toronto. Seriously, flashy Toronto...
After the twist, the movie does have some believability problems. The movie turns into an unlikely 'The Fugitive'. For a thriller attempting to be more cerebral, this is a little speed bump for them.
Weak but mildly entertaining
THE SENTINEL is one of those cookie-cutter thrillers that's already been made before. In this film's case, it's a virtual reprise of IN THE LINE OF DUTY, with Michael Douglas taking on the Eastwood role of the dedicated presidential bodyguard battling wits with an assassin.
The film could almost write itself, and sadly it turns out to be an absolutely generic Hollywood outing. Douglas is as strong as ever in a 'wronged man' type role, but everything that happens - every sub-plot, every little twist and turn - is so familiar, so predictable, so well choreographed in advance - that the ensuing film is difficult to like.
THE SENTINEL throws plenty of stuff into the mix in hopes to make it stick. The most blatant is an extraneous Eva Longoria, added in an attempt to sex things up. Next up is Kiefer Sutherland, straight off the set of 24 and playing a similarly dedicated character.
There are a handful of decent action sequences but Clark Johnson (also responsible for the similarly generic S.W.A.T.) is a letdown as director and there just isn't enough in the way of verve or style to make this in the least bit memorable. At least VANTAGE POINT had more going for it with the attempts at multiple points of view...