The plot of this film, a little bit of a stretch, focuses on Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas), a Secret Service hero who took a bullet for Reagan (damn it!) as he becomes embroiled in what looks like a plot to kill the president. In fact Garrison does have something to hide, and it's up to fellow agents Breckenridge (Sutherland) and Jill Marin (Eva Longoria) to try and figure out what. As soon as Garrison realizes they're on to him, though, he goes missing, and so a cat and mouse game ensues between Breckenridge and Garrison to find out what exactly is going on and who is guilty of it.
The movie is executed slickly and with some style, and all of the actors are comfortable enough in their roles that it all goes down smoothly. Douglas is in fine form, as is Sutherland, both of them handling their roles with ease, which again, helps you overlook the somewhat ludicrous plot twists.
The main problem with The Sentinel is that you've seen this all before: the old pro and his erstwhile protégé at odds; the rookie agent brought to the case "because fresh eyes may be just what we need;" the canny agent using all his tricks of the trade in the field to outwit his pursuers (you saw it recently, and better, in the Bourne films); and, of course, the protégé learning to trust his instincts over his training that something just isn't right. The Sentinel feels familiar in that regard, offering up few surprises, but it's executed with enough skill so that you don't mind passing a few hours watching some skilled actors go through the motions. It may be a bit pre-packaged, but that doesn't make it all bad; in fact, the familiar faces, settings, and plot tangles actually help The Sentinel at times.
Unless you're a huge fan of any of the leads, you could probably catch this on DVD and not miss anything much.
The movie is executed slickly and with some style, and all of the actors are comfortable enough in their roles that it all goes down smoothly. Douglas is in fine form, as is Sutherland, both of them handling their roles with ease, which again, helps you overlook the somewhat ludicrous plot twists.
The main problem with The Sentinel is that you've seen this all before: the old pro and his erstwhile protégé at odds; the rookie agent brought to the case "because fresh eyes may be just what we need;" the canny agent using all his tricks of the trade in the field to outwit his pursuers (you saw it recently, and better, in the Bourne films); and, of course, the protégé learning to trust his instincts over his training that something just isn't right. The Sentinel feels familiar in that regard, offering up few surprises, but it's executed with enough skill so that you don't mind passing a few hours watching some skilled actors go through the motions. It may be a bit pre-packaged, but that doesn't make it all bad; in fact, the familiar faces, settings, and plot tangles actually help The Sentinel at times.
Unless you're a huge fan of any of the leads, you could probably catch this on DVD and not miss anything much.