The Sentinel Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)April 21st, 2006
THE SENTINEL
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): *** 1/2
This week at the movies, you have two completely different films about presidential assassinations to choose from. One is a bad comedy (AMERICAN DREAMZ), but the other one (THE SENTINEL) is a taut thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. If THE SENTINEL, which costars Kiefer Sutherland, reminds you of "24," that is a good thing, since "24" is just about the best thing that ever happened to television. The main difference between the two is that every episode of "24" is completely fat free and one long adrenaline rush. THE SENTINEL, in contrast, features a killer ending and a lot of engrossing action and plot twists along the way, but it does have its flab, particularly in the lackadaisical acting by Kim Basinger, as First Lady Sarah Ballentine, and in its underwritten villains.
The central character in the story is played quite believably by Michael Douglas. As "legendary" Secret Service Agent Pete Garrison, who helped save President Regan decades ago, Douglas plays a smart and resourceful agent who acts his age. He may have trouble outrunning the younger guys, but his older brains allow him to outwit them. When a mole is discovered within the Secret Service, Pete finds himself framed for plans underway to kill the president. Who the real mole is I won't reveal, but I will say that it wasn't who I guessed. I particularly liked the way the script didn't feel the need to follow the usual clichés about the mole being the tip of an iceberg within our government. Most thrillers these days have killers being a part of some vast conspiracy involving the CIA and just about every three-letter agency.
The film does a good job of taking us inside the operations of the Secret Service. Every move by the first family is carefully guarded, so that they are always as sheltered and protected as humanly possible. We also witness how easy it is for occupants of the White House to have affairs without being detected. This time, however, it's the president's spouse who is the adulterer.
Knowing that a presidential assassination is afoot is not the same thing as being able to figure out the who, when, where and how of it. When we first meet Agent David Breckinridge, played brilliantly by Kiefer Sutherland, he is showing a new agent all of the daily threats that his investigative organization has to track down. Many people threaten the president, but few are actually dangerous, and it falls to Agent Breckinridge's team to determine which threats to take most seriously.
The script takes itself quite seriously but gives us enough natural humor to break the tension. You'll never think of it as a comedy, but you will laugh some. What you'll do most of all, especially after the rousing conclusion, is to leave the theater exhausted, entertained and satisfied.
THE SENTINEL runs a fast 1:45. It is rated PG-13 for "some intense action violence and a scene of sensuality" and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, April 21, 2006. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC theaters, the Century theaters and the Camera Cinemas.
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