Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria
Directed by Clark Johnson

Any film with someone billed in the credits as "Scary Looking Man" has got to be a good one. A competent thriller, The Sentinel provides enough clues in the first half of the film to clue viewers in on the what the eventual ending would be, but not enough to void the need to watch it.

No need for me to sing the praises of Michael Douglas and Kiefer Sutherland, who play Secret Service agents Peter Garrison and David Breckenridge, respectively, as their stellar reputations are well known. Of all the elements that go into a film, the actors would be pretty important don't you think? And the actors in this film are what saved it from being relegated to the ranks of wannabe thrillers that you roll your eyes at. Many reviews have ripped the garden variety plotline and the seemingly too confusing twists. But look at it this way, nothing under the sun is really new anyways, and if you use your brain while you watch, you'll know exactly where this film is going.

Peter Garrison's alarm clock goes off at 4:00 am and gives the civilian world a short glimpse into the routine life of those few employees of the federal government who actually do work, in grueling, thankless jobs. It isn't long before we find out Garrison, who is part of the President of the United States' security detail is having an affair with the First Lady. The meat of the plot comes quickly after, when Marine One is blown out of the sky and the Secret Service realizes there is a traitor amongst them. Before long, Garrison is being investigated for treason. Running from his own colleagues, Garrison must attempt to solve the case before the real bad-guys succeeds in their mission to assassinate the President.

Although I did have to snicker every time a Secret Service agent slipped on a pair of sunglasses or talked into their sleeves, this was a smart take on a conventional idea. I am telling you right now this film is for thinkers. Sitting there passively staring at the screen will result in a disappointing experience. The script very clearly hints who the mole could be. It is your job to pick up all the clues along the course of the film and figure out who it is before the script tells you.

Now that I am done with the good points, I will begin on the bad points, of which there are two. The first is Eva Longoria, a pretty face, sure to draw the male audience in and not much else. I mean, a rookie agent being taken under the wing of the best of the best is all fine and dandy, but this desperate housewife turned wannabe tough cookie better do more to prove herself in the big screen world than furrow her brow while doubling as Sutherland's shadow. My second gripe would be the lack of details provided on the actual culprits in the whole deal and the motives behind why exactly do they want to assassinate the POTUS. It would have added a lot more depth to the film. In the end, it takes a real movie fan to appreciate what this film has to offer.