Vantage Point

Synopsis

Vantage Point is told from various points of view after United States President Aston (William Hurt) is shot in Salamanca, Spain at a anti-terrorism convention. A massive blast soon follows killing innocent crowd goers. Secret Service Agents Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Taylor (Matthew Fox) expeditiously take action as the events are first seen through the eyes of television news producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver). The film then recoils, and starts over again showing a different perspective providing new evidence. This suspenseful action-thriller will twist the mind until the very end.

Review

This film had way too many vantage points. Points vantage many too way had film this. This flick had way too many vantage points going. Going points vantage many too way had flick this. This picture had way too many standpoints going on. On going standpoints many too way had picture this. This movie had way too many viewpoints going on in one film.

If these sentences seem redundant, like nonsense, or they plain get on your nerves, then you know how Vantage Point is going to make you feel. This movie rewinds backwards six or more times and the outcome just doesn’t pay off. I was so disappointed because of the jive ending.  Shoot, I felt like I unwrapped an empty present. I picked up the present and knew it felt light, but I went and looked inside anyway. Empty. I watched 90 minutes of this film, feeling from the start something wasn't right, and sadly, I was right .

I say, return this mmm to sender. Don't get me wrong, Vantage Point is filled with action and an interesting cast of greats, but the action doesn't make a great movie. The car and people chase scenes last way too long. The reason behind the fore-mentioned assassination attempt—as well as who is involved—is fuzzy. I watched the movie intently, but after the fourth rewind, I could hear people sigh and say, “Come on.” Bad sign. It is an interesting premise, but it ends up beating the audience over the head with it. You don't really get any new surprises after the rewinds, so you wonder why even bother? Just play the movie through! No one cares! Yeah we get it—rewind. Rewind back to when I was in line getting a ticket for this thing. I had a headache at the end of it because it got on my *&&*&* nerves.

Dennis Quaid is excellent as Agent Barnes, a verteran of the POTUS Secret Service detail. He is believable in this role. You can’t go wrong with casting 'The Fugitive' in a film like this. However, he still couldn’t save it. After the U.S. President gets shot (so we think) at a counter-terrorism summit, pure pandemonium breaks out and Agent Barnes takes serious action. His main objective through this entire flick is to find out who is behind this assassination attempt. He is on point running, chasing, driving, and searching through the streets of Spain. Every time I thought that he was getting closer...BAM the one shooting scene reels back at a high speed and starts at the beginning with a new perspective.

I invested all this time watching this thing through the eyes of several people and it just ended like...Ummm okay....is that it? Ohh Heck no. Don't do that. My husband kept whispering to me, "I have a feeling this is going to end bad." He was so right. I want the ending to be gritty, grimy, and bananas. Wow a sista. Watching this movie is like listening to a long joke that you know isn't going to be funny in the end, but your boss is telling the joke and your performance review is tomorrow.

However, Vantage Point is worth seeing because of the cast. Can't go wrong with Sigourney Weaver, Academy Award® Winner Forest Whitaker (some Reel Talk about him below), Matthew Fox (Lost), William Hurt, and a host of others. If you don't mind redundancy with a twist, then this might be a motion picture for you. There were one too many loose ends for my taste considering there were several ways to break it all down. The film lifted me with the action and believable acting , but just dropped me on my big head at the end.

My Rating ~ 3 Reels

Average Rating ~ What's Yours?