Tampa Film Fan

the sentinel on dvd today

Because I enjoyed seeing The Sentinel so much in the theater a few months ago, the M80 promotional team sent me a DVD of The Sentinel to review. I have to say, I enjoyed it just as much the second time around. The DVD’s bonus features include:

• Alternate Ending
• Four Deleted scenes
• Audio commentary by director Clark Johnson and writer George Nolfi
• The Secret Service: Building On A Tradition Of Excellence featurette
• In The President’s Shadow: Protecting The President featurette
• 2 Theatrical trailers

The two featurettes were incredibly interesting and enjoyable. Here’s the plot synopsis from the website:

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!

Here’s the link to my review back in May, if you’re curious. Hope you enjoy The Sentinel as much as I did.

The Sentinel is out on DVD today.

film fan finding:the sentinel

I didn’t think Michael Douglas could pull it off, but he did. He took a role we’ve seen a thousand times — the seasoned old pro so dedicated to the company (in this case, the Secret Service) that he’ll sacrifice his reputation and his career for the greater good — and made it work. In The Sentinel, Douglas plays a Secret Service veteran revered for taking a bullet for President Reagan in 1980 who is having an affair with the current First Lady (played by Kim Basigner) who he’s sworn to protect. When his estranged protege (Kiefer Sutherland) is put in charge of the investigation to find the CIA mole behind the plan to assassinate the president, Douglas becomes the main suspect rather than confess his affair with the First Lady.

After establishing the main characters, the movie shifts to the standard uncovering-the-dark-secret-while-running-for-your-life plot. I got caught up in it and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I felt like I shouldn’t have because I’ve seen it done a thousand times before. The Sentinel rises above the stereotypes to become an engaging and suspenseful thriller.

Film Fan Finding: B+