The Sentinel
Screenplay written by: George Nolfi, based upon Gerald
Petievich’s novel
Actors: Michael Douglas, Kifer Sutherland, Kim Basinger, Eva
Longoria
Directed by: Clark Johnson (also S.W.A.T., and TV’s Law and
Order
– Special Victim’s Unit)
Rated: PG-13 (Intense action violence, scenes of sensuality)
The Sentinel
Screenplay written by: George Nolfi, based upon Gerald Petievich’s novel
Actors: Michael Douglas, Kifer Sutherland, Kim Basinger, Eva Longoria
Directed by: Clark Johnson (also S.W.A.T., and TV’s Law and Order – Special Victim’s Unit)
Rated: PG-13 (Intense action violence, scenes of sensuality)
Pete Garrison is a well-liked and respected career Secret Service agent assigned to the First Lady’s detail who has earned the esteem of his peers in the past by putting himself in the line of fire to protect the president. But when he is disgraced by mounting evidence that he is a mole involved in an international conspiracy to assassinate the president, the forces of internal investigation are put into play that escalate his most dreaded fears. Becoming the enemy within, the vulnerable man serving the pleasure of the first lady (Kim Basinger) is blackmailed and forced to escape the agency’s net. With no one to trust, Garrison’s unwavering dedication compels him to use his specialized training to foil the assassination plot and ensure that the blackmailers will not destroy the presidency because of him. As the pursuit of Garrison closes in, his protege and ex-friend, David Brickenridge (Kiefer Sutherland), has to decide if his past unhealed distrust of Garrison is reason enough not to believe his claims of being set-up.
He Said:
Because of the lack of surprises and the absence of twists, it was clear that “The Sentinel” was meant to be carried by the quality that Douglas and Sutherland could bring to the project. And they did, considering the script they had to work with. The action moved along well even if we have all seen those cat-and-mouse shooting scenes ad nauseum that smacked at being television-esque. From and acting point-of-view, Kim Basinger was convincing as the elegant first lady, but Eva Longoria, Brickenridge’s junior partner, was clearly as much or more of a pleasure to watch. All in all, I’d say it was better than OK, and less than really good, especially for those who like political suspense thrillers.
On the R&R Scale (1-10):
6 for script: Good lines, trite plot.
7 for direction: Most scenes moved well.
7 for acting: Douglas and Sutherland 8, everyone else 6.
6 for plot: Nothing fresh, but action was good at times.
6 for entertainment value: An better than O.K. 108 minutes.
6.4 Overall
She said:
Besides my continual fascination with the procedural aspects of the Secret Service and methods for protecting the President and the First Lady, I usually liked the pacing of most scenes in this film and the way the action developed. While the action certainly had my attention, it wasn’t because of gripping suspense. More intrigue could have enhanced this conventional script. Although I generally liked “The Sentinel”, and especially enjoyed watching Douglas with Bassinger, I couldn’t help think that Kifer Sutherland’s role must have gotten over-edited. “The Sentinel” could have been so much more if they had a more layered script to work with.
On the R&R Scale (1-10):
6 for script: No surprises, but it moved along well most of the time.
5 for direction: More intrigue would have spiced things up.
7 for acting: Elevated an average script.
6 for plot: The real evil within wasn’t developed well enough.
7 for entertainment value: Sometimes almost enthralling.
6.6 Overall
