Sentinel (Blu-ray) (2006)

"...enjoyably diverting thriller.  Jami Bernard, New York Daily News
"...a nifty piece of genre filmmaking...  Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"A well-constructed and genuinely tense thriller.  Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Editor's Note Based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Petievich, THE SENTINEL offers a rare look at the world of the Secret Service and questions what would happen if an insider were involved in a plot to kill the President of the United States. Agent Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) has earned his stripes and is a fixture in the Secret Service. In 1981, he took a bullet during the assassination attempt on President Reagan. More than twenty years later, he is an essential element in the first line of defense for current first lady Sarah Ballentine (Kim Basinger). But Garrison has some secrets--secrets that could end his career if they were discovered. When a plot to assassinate President John Ballentine (David Rasche) is suspected, Garrison finds himself the primary suspect. Heading the investigation is Agent David Breckenridge (Kiefer Sutherland), who is convinced that Garrison--his former best friend and mentor--slept with his wife. With the help of rookie agent Jill Marin (Eva Longoria), who was trained by Garrison, Breckenridge is determined to crack the case and keep the president safe--even if it means taking Garrison down. When accused of treason, Garrison leads Breckenridge and the other agents on a wild chase and the truth becomes more and more twisted. Is Garrison running in order to escape, or is he trying to prove his innocence while protecting his secrets? Can Breckenridge put aside his old grudge and make decisions based strictly on the evidence presented? Will Marin's allegiance remain with her new supervisor, or with Garrison, the field instructor who recommended her for her new assignment? Most important, can the agents uncover the truth before more of their colleagues--and the president--die? Directed by Clark Johnson (S.W.A.T.), who appears as Agent Charlie Merriweather, the film also features Martin Donovan, Ritchie Coster and Blair Brown.

	Eva Longoria
	Kiefer Sutherland
	Kim Basinger
	Michael Douglas
	Andrew McAlpine - Production Designer
	Bill Carraro - Executive Producer
	Christophe Beck - Original Music By
	Cindy Mollo - Editor
	Clark Johnson - Director
	Gabriel Beristain - Cinematographer
	George Nolfi - Screenplay
	Gerald Petievich - Based On Novel By
	Michael Douglas - Producer
	Rocco Matteo - Art Director

Los Angeles Times
"[A]n unassuming thriller, a nifty piece of genre filmmaking without frills or self-importance. It's a throwback, if you will, to the days of B pictures, when formula movies were made with a maximum of skill and a minimum of pretense." 04/21/2006 p.E8

USA Today
"Director Clark Johnson has an energetic style of filmmaking and a facile way with stunts and chase sequences.." 04/21/2006 p.8E

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "Sutherland makes this stuff look easy. There's a fine and twitchy father-son chemistry between him and Douglas..." 09/01/2006 p.33

ReelViews 7 of 10
The Sentinel is a movie in which one's perception of the proceedings will be impacted by a familiarity (or lack thereof) with the TV series 24. For those for whom that number means little more than "two dozen," The Sentinel is a Michael Douglas movie...When it comes to movies about Secret Service agents protecting the President from assassination, The Sentinel finishes several lengths behind the Clint Eastwood/Wolfgang Peterson collaboration, In the Line of Fire. There's not as much tension and the characters are less compelling. There are indications that The Sentinel was intended to be a longer, more involved movie, but what we end up with is a stripped-down carcass...So, although some enjoyment can be had from watching The Sentinel with an uncritical eye, it remains a deeply flawed piece of mainstream action entertainment. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 8 of 10
Michael Douglas is a skilled actor who often works within a narrow range, as he does in "The Sentinel." Once again, he's a consummate professional who finds himself with problems on two fronts: the romantic, and the criminal. Half of his movies, more or less, have involved that formula; the others show a wide variety, as in "Wonder Boys," "Traffic," "Falling Down" and "The War of the Roses." I might object when I see him wearing the suit and tie and juggling adultery and danger, but you know what? He's good at it...Have I seen movies like "The Sentinel" before? Yes, and I hope to see them again. At a time when American audiences seem grateful for the opportunity to drool at mindless horror trash, it is encouraging that well-crafted thrillers are still being made about characters who have dialogue, identities, motives and clean shirts. - Roger Ebert