Film Review

Michael Douglas is back on the big screen after a fairly long hiatus. The Sentinel is typical Douglas fare; earnest, issues-oriented film with a quasi-message.

This time there is a mole in the Secret Service and a plot to kill the President. Douglas plays a secret service agent with a secret which sets him up for the "is he or isn't he?" cat and mouse game that the film revolves around. It is not a bad film, but its not too great either.

The first half is really done well and the tension and suspsicion mounts, but it unravels a bit when we discover the slightly improbable story at the core of the film. Kim Basinger plays the First Lady and Eva Longoris, apparently the sexiest woman around at present, is completely unused as anything but eye-candy in her role as a junior agant on her first day at work who is drawn into the conspiracy. Kiefer Sutherland at his moody and cynical best, plays a by-the-book agent in charge of investigating the potential attack.

The Sentinel didn't exactly light up the box office but it is a solid film and if you enjoy action/thrillers then you'll like this.