The Sentinel DVD

The Sentinel
Cast: Michael Douglas
Studio: Fox
Rating: 6.5/10

THE STORY: Proving that nothing is as it seems in the high stakes game of political intrigue, a legendary but disgraced Secret Service agent is under the gun to uncover a terrorist plot to infiltrate the White House in THE SENTINEL, an explosive action-thriller arriving on DVD August 29 from Fox Home Entertainment. Hailed as “engrossing…thoroughly entertaining” (WCBS-TV) and boasting an all-star cast that includes Oscar® winner Michael Douglas (Best Actor, Wall Street, 1988), Kiefer Sutherland (“24”), Eva Longoria (“Desperate Housewives”) and Oscar®-winner Kim Basinger (Best Supporting Actress, L.A. Confidential, 1998), THE SENTINEL puts the life of the President on the line in an intense game of cat-and-mouse… where the only thing standing between the terrorist threat and national security is a disavowed agent wanted for attempted murder and treason. THE SENTINEL DVD features even more thrills and action, taking audiences deeper than ever before into the inner workings and dangers of political protection with an alternate ending, deleted scenes, director and writer audio commentary, featurettes and more.

Synopsis:
Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria and Kim Basinger head up “the perfect cast” (CBS-TV, Sacramento) in this gripping suspense thriller that delivers “nonstop action around every turn!” (NBC-TV, Houston). There’s never been a traitor in the United States Secret Service…until now. And the evidence points to Pete Garrison (Douglas), one of the most trusted agents on the force. Now on the run, with two relentless federal investigators (Sutherland and Longoria) hot on his heels, Garrison must fight to clear his name and thwart an attempt on the President’s life before it’s too late!

THE REVIEW: The Sentinel starts quick with a lot of credibility issues. We get Michael Douglas as a Secret Service agent with character issues which open him up to blackmail. I would hope that a flawed and unethical Secret Service agent would have been fired or relegated to lesser duties.

Not only is Douglas’ character Pete Garrisson odd so is the individual who blackmails Garrison. The blackmailer details his plans to Garrison—how stupid is that? It would have been all too easy for Garrison to report this no matter the blackmail and foil his plans. Longoria does nothing to make us believe she will transition well to movies.

THE EXTRAS:
There is an alternate ending, four deleted scenes, and a commentary by director Clark Johnson and writer George Nolfi. If you like The Sentinel than you will enjoy the movie far more than me.

“The Secret Service: Building On A Tradition Of Excellence” – A featurette with the stars of the film who go into making a movie that has a semblance of reality. Again, if you buy the story you’ll enjoy the featurette more.

“In The President’s Shadow: Protecting The President” – Another featurette about the Secret Service and the production of the movie. It would have been a lot more interesting to see something more about the Secret Service not in the context of a subpar movie.

FRANKLY: The story is as weak as Longoria’s acting. The Sentinel follows an overused concept of blackmail without adding any new elements of intrigue. We get the gallant but beaten man in uniform being chased by a bad guy who knows something others don’t. Yes, you’ve heard it before. Same movie. Different cast. Same result. The Sentinel is a dud.

+ Charlie Craine


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