"THE SENTINEL" (2006) (Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland) (PG-13) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild Moderate Extreme Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Mild None Moderate None Moderate Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Minor Moderate Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Suspense/Thriller: A veteran Secret Service agent stationed at the White House tries to clear his name when he becomes the chief suspect of being the mole inside the agency who's plotting to kill the President. PLOT: Agent Pete Garrison (MICHAEL DOUGLAS) is something of a legend inside the Secret Service detail at the White House. After all, he took a bullet for President Reagan years ago and now serves directly protecting First Lady Sarah Ballentine (KIM BASINGER). While she publicly stands by her husband, President John Ballentine (DAVID RASCHE), their personal relationship is anything but happy, resulting in her having an affair with Pete. Although he knows he's playing with fire, he thinks he has that under control. That is, until a friend and fellow agent is murdered, his longtime informant Walter Xavier (RAYNOR SCHEINE) informs him of a mole inside the Service who wants to kill the President, and he receives a packet of blackmail photos of him and Sarah. He reports the assassination plot to Special Agent in Charge William Montrose (MARTIN DONOVAN) and it's not long before the Service's top investigative agent, David Breckinridge (KIEFER SUTHERLAND) -- who was working the murder case with rookie agent Jill Marin (EVA LONGORIA) -- is assigned to figure out the mole's identity. Considering that his friendship with Pete ended after believing Pete had an affair with his wife, David casts a wary eye toward his former mentor, unaware that a mysterious figure, The Handler (RITCHIE COSTER), is behind the plot. But when a number of clues and incidents point all of the evidence toward Pete, the veteran agent goes on the run. From that point on, he tries to stay a step ahead of David and the other agents, all while working to prove his innocence and figure out who's really behind the plot to kill the President. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Fans of anyone in the cast or political thrillers will likely be interested. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13 For some intense action violence and a scene of sensuality. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: MICHAEL DOUGLAS plays a veteran Secret Service agent who's somewhat of a legend but is having a secret affair with the First Lady. Just as he starts to investigate rumors of a mole inside the Service, he's blackmailed about the affair and then finds himself as the chief suspect. He then tries to outwit David and the others while figuring out who's after the President. He uses some profanity. KIEFER SUTHERLAND plays his former friend who had a falling out with him over the belief that Pete had an affair with his wife. An investigator within the Service, he's a fiery but by-the-books employee who sees all of the evidence pointing toward Pete. As he tries to nab him, he allows Jill to tag along. EVA LONGORIA plays a rookie Secret Service agent who's assigned to David and assists him in trying to crack the case and protect the President. MARTIN DONOVAN plays the head of the Secret Service detail who personally protects the President. DAVID RASCHE plays the President of the United States who wants to operate as business as usual despite learning of the plot against his life. KIM BASINGER plays his estranged wife who stays by his side for appearances, but is having a secret affair with Pete. RAYNOR SCHEINE plays Pete's longtime informant who's the first to break news of the plot against the President. RITCHIE COSTER plays the head villain who wants to kill the President. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: Here's a quick look at the content found in this suspense/thriller that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 3 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are used. Non-explicit, sexually related dialogue is present, while a couple has an affair (we briefly see partial undressing before implied sex) and the camera focuses on a woman's clothed butt to represent a man's point of view. Violence consists of various people being shot and killed (some with occasionally bloody results), some brief fighting and a missile destroying a helicopter in flight. Some of that material and other cat and mouse style moments could be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers, while the villains and others have varying degrees of bad attitudes. Some characters drink, and tense family material is present (talk and/or views of failing or failed marriages). Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, you may want to look more closely at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there's some brief handheld camera movement representing Pete's surveillance of a location. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE We see a photo of Pete and David holding beer. Pete's snitch wants one million dollars before he'll give more information regarding the plot to kill the President (he says for his protection, which prompts Pete to ask him, "What are you smoking?"). Some villains have wine and beer in front of them on a table. We see a miscellaneous person purchasing a six-pack of beer in a store. Having called David to her office, Sarah offers him a drink, but he declines. She then says that most women don't like whiskey, but then adds that her mother was from Tennessee. We then see a drink in front of Sarah and she says another is for David, but neither drink (that we see). A villain has beer for himself and an agent. BLOOD/GORE We see real life footage of the assassination attempt on President Reagan -- gunshots ring out, agents push Reagan into the limo and others jump on Hinckley. We then see one agent who's on the sidewalk with blood around him. A man twice shoots an agent on the latter's front steps with a silencer equipped gun, killing him (with bloody results -- including down the steps). We see blood when an agent is shot twice in the chest. We see a guard's dead and bloody body going up an escalator. We see blood on Pete's shirt after he's shot. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE The villains and their inside accomplice obviously have bad attitudes for their goal of killing the President. Seeing Jill, a cop at a murder scene says that she can breathe down his neck, but not here (after a comment is made about the Secret Service breathing down their necks). David doesn't like his former friend and current fellow agent Pete because he thinks he had an affair with his wife (now ex-wife), but Pete states he didn't. Pete's snitch wants one million dollars before he'll give more information regarding the plot to kill the President (he says for his protection, which prompts Pete to ask him, "What are you smoking?"). Pete receives blackmail photos of him with Sarah (nothing explicit). Pete steals a car in his quest to clear his name. Walter's mom tells Pete that she hasn't seen her son in three years, but it seems that she's lying to Pete as she then calls her son on the phone to warm him about Pete. We hear that an agent made a deal with the KGB twenty years ago and that they want him to deliver the President to them. When he refuses, the main villain then threatens to kill his wife and kids. FRIGHTENING SCENES Scenes listed under "Violence" might also be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers. We briefly see photos of dead or malnourished children (in a protest display outside the White House). We briefly see flashes of writing on the screen and hear snippets of audio threats regarding the President. A man twice shoots an agent on the latter's front steps with a silencer equipped gun, killing him (with bloody results -- including down the steps). While tailing a person and eventually ending in a parking garage, a car races toward Pete. He gets out of the way and draws his gun, but various FBI and other such vehicles race up, with FBI agents pulling and aiming their guns at Pete. A terrorist twice shoots an agent in a shopping mall, with the now dead agent falling over a railing to the floor below. The man then opens fire on Pete, with the bullets shattering various glass panels as Pete tries to take cover. That man then takes a hostage to escape. Moments later, we see a guard's dead and bloody body going up an escalator and the suspect then shoots at Pete again in the mall before giving him, David and Jill the slip. Pete runs from David, eventually boarding an old ship where he tries to elude him. Once back outside, David orders Pete to stop, and when he doesn't, he shoots Pete in the shoulder, dropping him to the ground. Pete then tells David to shoot him somewhere else than the Kevlar (vest), but David can't and so Pete escapes. Pete enters the terrorists' lair, and sees a suspect put his gun down while talking on the phone to his handler. Pete then goes for the gun, but the suspect is waiting for and grabs him. The two then struggle, with shots randomly fired into the air. Pete then smashes the suspect back into something and rushes away with the suspect shooting at him several times. Pete then shoots the man several times, killing him. Various agents and others aim their guns at Pete, with David ordering them to lower their weapons. Agents rush to get the President out of a summit meeting (and Sarah in another direction), but David and Pete inform everyone of the mole within the group. They tail the bad agent, but then encounter gunmen in a hallway where at least one person is shot before a gun battle breaks out (handguns vs. machine guns). During this, Pete shoots one bad guy, while a villain shoots an agent (who purposefully stood in the line of fire). Pete then shoots another, while a female agent is shot. Pete is then shot and wounded, but David and Jill shoot the gunmen dead. Moments later, and somewhat pinned down, the two maneuver themselves into position and shoot and kill another gunman. A villain grabs Sarah as a hostage as he attempts to kill the President, but Pete shoots that man dead. GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns/Machine guns/Missile: Carried and/or used to threaten, wound or kill others and/or cause property damage. See "Violence" for details. We see various Secret Service agents with sniper rifles. Pete finds a handgun (and other items) hidden inside a fridge door. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Only thing I give a sh*t about," "Kiss ass," "A hell of a day," "What the hell is going on?" "Screw you," "You really are a piece of work," "He can go to hell," "What are you smoking?" "Where the hell have you been?" "You screwed up," "You scared the hell out of me," "You really are an idiot" and "Jeez." A male agent playfully gives "the finger" to a female agent by rubbing that under his chin as if scratching himself there. JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 3 "s" words, 11 hells, 1 ass, 1 damn, 9 uses of "G-damn," 2 of "Jesus Christ" and 1 use each of "Christ," "For Christ's sakes" and "Oh God." SEX/NUDITY The camera focuses on Jill's clothed butt as she walks away (representing a man's point of view). Jill shows a little cleavage at work and David comments on her dressing more appropriately. Seeing Jill, a cop at a murder scene says that she can breathe down his neck, but not here (after a comment is made about the Secret Service breathing down their necks). Pete and Sarah passionately kiss at her beach house, his coat comes off and the top of her dress goes down, but nothing explicit is seen (and the scene ends there with sex implied). During some polygraph testing, a male agent is asked if he's ever been involved with child pornography. He replies that he has, but on a case. David tells Jill that Pete was his best friend "until he slept with my wife." SMOKING We see many cigarette butts in an ashtray. TENSE FAMILY SCENES We see that the President and First Lady have a strained marriage (noted by comments and body language, etc. as well as her having an affair with Pete). Pete talks to an agent's widow (not long after her husband's murder). We see footage of David's wife stating that she's not having an affair with Pete (but we then hear that she and David are divorced). We hear that Pete was divorced in 1998. Walter's mom tells Pete that she hasn't seen her son in three years, but it seems that she's lying to Pete as she then calls her son on the phone to warm him about Pete. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The work of the Secret Service and its agents. Affairs and their impact on the participants and others. How code names are used by Secret Service agents for those they're protecting. We briefly see flashes of writing on the screen and hear snippets of audio threats regarding the President. VIOLENCE We see real life footage of the assassination attempt on President Reagan -- gunshots ring out, agents push Reagan into the limo and others jump on Hinckley. We then see one agent who's on the sidewalk with blood around him. A man twice shoots an agent on the latter's front steps with a silencer equipped gun, killing him (with bloody results -- including down the steps). A terrorist twice shoots an agent in a shopping mall, with the now dead agent falling over a railing to the floor below. The man then opens fire on Pete, with the bullets shattering various glass panels as Pete tries to take cover. That man then takes a hostage to escape. Moments later, we see a guard's dead and bloody body going up an escalator and the suspect then shoots at Pete again in the mall before giving him, David and Jill the slip. A surface to air missile strikes the presidential helicopter, destroying it (those onboard are presumably killed, but they don't include the President). After learning that he's now being investigated for treason, Pete must escape and thus slams a freezer door (on a fridge) into one agent's face before striking another (knee to the gut, elbow to the face) and then fleeing the scene. Pete finds a dead man (no blood, but a bullet shell by him). David shoots Pete in the shoulder, dropping him to the ground. Pete then tells David to shoot him somewhere else than the Kevlar (vest), but David can't and so Pete escapes. Pete enters the terrorists' lair, and sees a suspect put his gun down while talking on the phone to his handler. Pete then goes for the gun, but the suspect is waiting for and grabs him. The two then struggle, with shots randomly fired into the air. Pete then smashes the suspect back into something and rushes away with the suspect shooting at him several times. Pete then shoots the man several times, killing him. We see protests at a summit in Canada where some bottles are thrown and shatter against some police shields. Agents rush to get the President out of a summit meeting (and Sarah in another direction), but David and Pete inform everyone of the mole within the group. They tail the bad agent, but then encounter gunmen in a hallway where at least one person is shot before a gun battle breaks out (handguns vs. machine guns). During this, Pete shoots one bad guy, while a villain shoots an agent (who purposefully stood in the line of fire). Pete then shoots another, while a female agent is shot. Pete is then shot and wounded, but David and Jill shoot the gunmen dead. Moments later, and somewhat pinned down, the two maneuver themselves into position and shoot and kill another gunman. A Secret Service SUV smashes into a police car to get to the President. A villain grabs Sarah as a hostage as he attempts to kill the President, but Pete shoots that man dead. Reviewed April 18, 2006 / Posted April 21, 2006

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