2 of 3

Agents Jill Marin (Eva Longoria) and David Breckinridge pursue an assassin

Also frustrating is the editing, which jumps from scene to scene with the attention deficit of a channel surfer. For the first half, director Johnson pointlessly uses annoying montages of death threat letters and phone calls to transition between scenes. And at one point, the movie needlessly jumps between scenes of Garrison assisting the First Lady while Breckinridge explains crime scene procedure to the local police. The effect is exactly like a dissatisfied television viewer unable to decide which television program is more boring.

And while The Sentinel is rarely dull with the pacing, it lacks genuine thrills. It takes 45 minutes for the first true action scene to arrive, and while the climactic shootout is pretty well staged, it's the sort of sequence one expects in the middle of a good movie, not the end. If only the film staged more thoughtful chase sequences between Garrison and Breckinridge, or better yet, established an identifiable villain that's truly menacing.

Garrison confronts Breckinridge, who suspects Garrison of plotting to assassinate the President

One thing the movie does get right is the subject matter. The Sentinel is based on the 2003 novel of the same name written by Gerald Petievich, a former Secret Service agent who also wrote the books that inspired To Live and Die in L.A. and Boiling Point. Thus the film is overflowing with tricks of the trade that demonstrate codenames, surveillance, technology, and tactics that agents use to protect government leaders and themselves. Much of it is fascinating in a Tom Clancy kind of way, but the story simply doesn't live up to it.

Aside from In the Line of Fire and The Fugitive, The Sentinel also reminded me of 2006's Firewall with Harrison Ford. Both have 60-something superstar actors who haven't been in a hit movie for some time. Both are predictable in execution and reminiscent of better films previously made by their stars. And both are still watchable in spite of their flaws. But are you looking to spend $10 opening weekend or are you looking to pass the time on a trans-continental flight? If it weren't for the clout of its two leading men, The Sentinel would be nothing more than a made-for-cable or direct-to-DVD feature.

1. Garrison and Breckinridge represent two different form of response—instinct vs. procedure. How are both important in a job such as the Secret Service? Does one outweigh the other? What does Scripture say about each (browse through Proverbs for some examples)?
   
   
2. Does The Sentinel portray Garrison's relationship with the First Lady as honorable? Do emotions justify his actions? Why or why not? What message(s) do you believe the movie communicates concerning adultery? How does this compare with a Biblical stance concerning adultery? Does the film show cracks in the relationship between the President and First Lady?
   
   
3. The press materials describe The Sentinel as a redemption story for Garrison's character. Do you agree or disagree with that assessment? What qualities or components are needed for a true redemption tale? What could have been added to this story to make it more redemptive?
   
   
4. Garrison and Breckinridge shared a long history of friendship together, but let a misunderstanding get in the way. Why did they let it perpetuate for so long? How is it resolved in the movie? What does this suggest about honesty and trust in a relationship?
   
   

next page... |  2 of 3