After the first five minutes of "The Sentinel," audiences might think they are watching an ultra-creative art film about the night terrors of Secret Service men. The film begins with a dream sequence portrayed through ominous death-threat letters and artistic shots of former assassination attempts. Viewers are intrigued and start to think this isn't going to be another formulaic thriller — think again.
"The Sentinel" explores what would happen if there was a mole in the Secret Service working with a group trying to assassinate the president. Special Agent Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is being framed for the infiltration and is trying to solve the case so he can save the president's life. Another agent, David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland), takes over the investigation, but he has a past with Garrison which is making it difficult for the truth to be uncovered.
Usually it's easy to guess how things will play out in an action/thriller movie. "The Sentinel" makes it even easier than most films in the genre by actually zooming in on the bad guy. Viewers might doubt who the actual mole is because it seems too obvious, but unfortunately the film fails to offer any plot twists.
The plot had potential, and I'm sure the novel by former U.S. Secret Service Agent Gerald Petievich was better at building suspense than the film was. The main problem with the movie's plot is it gave everything away in the first half hour leaving nothing for viewers to guess on.
The audience learns right away that Garrison is having an affair with the first lady, making him the easiest person to frame because he can be kept quiet with blackmail. If viewers had to wonder whether Garrison was really guilty, the film would have been a lot better.
Douglas and Sutherland do everything they can to add depth and personality to cookie-cutter characters. But skilled acting can't replace the absence of an engaging story.
The plot doesn't make up for its transparency with character development either. When Secret Service rookie Jill Marin (Eva Longoria) starts to work for Breckinridge, he is skeptical of her abilities and resents being paired with her. Two scenes later, he is her biggest cheerleader and requests she stay on the mission with him. Keep in mind that she hasn't even had a chance to demonstrate any of her skills.
Longoria's character is problematic outside of the development issues. Longoria seems unimpressive, but she doesn't do a bad job acting — her role is bad. "The Sentinel" is not the only film guilty of casting attractive actresses in hopes of selling more tickets, but it provides a glaring example of why hot actors don't equal hot movies.
"The Sentinel" isn't the worst movie ever made, but it's nothing to write home about either. Fans of bad action movies like those of the 1980s might enjoy the predictable and somewhat cheesy ending, but most people will just be disappointed by the film's predictability.
