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Back Shelf Beauties
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The Sentinel I was very excited to see The Sentinel because it was partially shot on location here in Washington, DC, and I had the opportunity to spend some time on the set with star Michael Douglas. Of course, when I say "spent time on the set with Michael Douglas," I mean my friend Greg and I, like every red blooded American man in DC, snuck on looking for Eva Longoria(-Waffle). She wasn't there that day (just my luck), but we were 3 feet from Douglas as he read the paper, had his makeup touched up and generally sat around waiting for the director to start shooting the scene. See if you can notice me in the scene at the Las Palmas coffee shop. I'm the big guy behind Douglas's character, carrying flowers and candy, calling out, "Where are you Eva?," as he gets tackled by the security goons in the tender, loving way only goons know how. Michael Douglas stars as Pete Garrison - a legendary Secret Service agent assigned to guard the first lady, Sarah Ballentine (Kim Basinger). While Garrison is well liked and respected, he doesn't always play by the rules, which has left him vulnerable. When another agent is killed, David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland) and rookie investigator Jill Marin (Eva Longoria(-Waffle)), are called in to solve the case and try to find a traitorous agent who has been working on a secret plan to kill the President of the United States, President Ballentine (David "Sledgehammer" Rasche). All the evidence points to Garrison, so the accused agent disappears and attempts to solve the conspiracy before it is too late. Will Breckinridge find Garrison? Will either be able to find the dirty treasonous agent before it is too late? The Sentinel is a fun, action packed movie that starts off as a complex mystery, but devolves into an implausible chase movie leaving us wondering why the plotters are trying to kill the President. Then, you realize it doesn't matter because you are enjoying yourself. Director Clark Johnson and writer George Nolfi (based on a novel by Gerald Petievich) aren't into making any political statements or winning some Oscars for this one, so they present a movie sure to entertain you with thrilling chase scenes, cool explosions to wow you, some soap opera-like turns to shock you, pulse racing shots of Eva running around looking luscious (oh, so luscious), and fun MacGyver moments as Garrison relies on his wits to stay alive and solve the case as he engages in a cat and mouse game with Breckinridge. The movie is unabashed, big, star-driven Hollywood entertainment. Johnson could have done a better job keeping the mystery at the forefront, but turns in a decent effort as he takes us all around Washington, DC and other areas during the movie's big chase after Garrison. He inserts some annoying transitions showing us hate mail to the President and the voices of angry people reading them, but the use of this technique wears thin very quickly after it appears in the opening credits sequence. Since we know these letters have nothing to do with the conspiracy plot, I have to wonder why they are there, over and over and over again, especially since they interfere more than help set the mood or offer any insight into the plot and characters. However, this is not a filmmaker's movie. It's all about the stars. Douglas is great, as if you would expect anything less. He has the right mix of cockiness, and expertise that makes you want to see his every move, especially as Garrison's back is up against the wall and he is desperate to prove his innocence. Sutherland was a fantastic casting choice to play opposite Douglas as he brings, you guessed it, wonderful intensity to the role (I refuse to say Jack Bauer-like intensity since I used all of my Jack Bauer jokes last week in my review of The Wild. I should have saved a couple.). I do feel sorry for Eva Longoria(-Waffle). She is in her first big movie role since breaking out in Desperate Housewives, and it seems like in every scene in which she appears, some character is making a remark about her sexiness, or giving her some lascivious looks. Yes, we all know she is hotter than the surface of the sun (Oh Yeah!), but these Secret Service agents would never act this disrespectfully to a fellow colleague, and would face sexual harassment charges for doing half of what they do in this movie, so Nolfi's script fails the character in ways it helps define Garrison and Breckinridge. Longoria(-Waffle)'s role doesn't require her to do more than run around, point her gun at some bad guys, and stand (looking luscious) next to Sutherland as he delivers the plot advancing dialogue. Hopefully, she'll get more to do in her next film. The Sentinel never really describes why the plot against the President was hatched, but I got so wrapped up in the movie, I didn't care. Also, DC TV watchers may recognize a couple familiar Fox 5 news anchors in the movie. Keep your eyes open looking for Shawn Yancey, and keep your ears open listening for Brian Bolter. They get 4 Waffles for their performances. 3 Waffles (Out Of 4) Copyright 2006 - WaffleMovies.com
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