Vantage Point

[Brian in Mesa]

Vantage Point

Release Date: February 22, 2008
Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)
Director: Pete Travis
Screenwriter: Barry L. Levy
Genre: Action, Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of intense violence and action, some disturbing images and brief strong language)
Website: Vantage Point

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt

Plot Summary: In Columbia Pictures' action-packed thriller "Vantage Point," eight strangers with eight different points of view try to unlock the one truth behind an assassination attempt on the president of the United States. Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Mathew Fox) are two Secret Service agents assigned to protect President Ashton (William Hurt) at a landmark summit on the global war on terror. When President Ashton is shot moments after his arrival in Spain, chaos ensues and disparate lives collide in the hunt for the assassin. In the crowd is Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker), an American tourist who thinks he’s captured the shooter on his camcorder while videotaping the event for his kids back home. Also there, relaying the historic event to millions of TV viewers across the globe, is American TV news producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver). As they and others reveal their stories, the pieces of the puzzle will fall into place – and it will become apparent that shocking motivations lurk just beneath the surface.

You must be registered for see images

 

[Shane]

Very pumped for this one. GREAT cast.

 

[Linderbee]

saw the commercial for this during the super bowl w/DCR. Looks good.

 

[Shane]

w/DCR.

Thats cute.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Thats cute.

 

[Linderbee]

Thats cute.

dcr is cute, so that works.

 

[Shane]

dcr is cute, so that works.

I dont know about that(hes a guy)

Im talking about your OBVIOUS throw in of telling us that you were with him. Like we didnt know that already.

 

[Linderbee]

I dont know about that(hes a guy)

Im talking about your OBVIOUS throw in of telling us that you were with him. Like we didnt know that already.

pfft. Whatever.

Okay, for the record...whenever I say I have done anything, it's safe to assume dcr was there, too. Geez. I'll stop now.

Okay, probably not, but I'll try.

 

[Shane]

pfft. Whatever.

Okay, for the record...whenever I say I have done anything, it's safe to assume dcr was there, too. Geez. I'll stop now.

Okay, probably not, but I'll try.

Dont stop. Its cute.

 

[Linderbee]

Dont stop. Its cute.

Okee dokee.

 

[Louis]

Couldn't find a thread on this turd.

President Ashton (William Hurt) is attending a global war on terror summit in Spain. Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) and Kent Taylor (Matthew Fox) are two of the Secret Service agents assigned to protect him. This is the first action that Agent Barnes has been in since he took a bullet for President Ashton six-month earlier. We really dont know if Agent Barnes is up to the challenge of protecting the President. Shortly after President Ashton is escorted to the stage in the plaza by the Secret Service, he is immediately shot twice by a rifle from a window and falls to the floor. The crowd is in shock and chaos breaks out all over, especially, when bombs begin to explode. Howard Lewis (Forest Whitaker) is an American video-taping the event to show to his children that he was actually there at this historic event. He believes that he has the picture of the man who shot the President. Agent Barnes sees the tape and has a clue to that person. Several different people witness the event, and only through their eyes do we see the truth behind the assassination attempt.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443274/

Features Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid, William Hurt, and Sigourney Weaver.

What a terrible, terrible movie. Nothing made sense. The first 45 minutes or so are told from several different points of view. Which gets pretty old and annoying.

Spoiler

Between an overweight out of shape guy recording the entire incident and chasing down a suspected terrorist faster than 2 Secret Service Agents, the terrorist who kills maybe hundreds including a double for the President and kidnapping the real President but swerves his car to miss a girl in the street, things got out of control.

0/5 stars for me. A waste of a rental.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I think this movie looks pretty good, and I plan on picking up the Bluray eventually.

 

[Mulli]

I think this movie looks pretty good, and I plan on picking up the Bluray eventually.

Looks turrible.

 

[Louis]

I think this movie looks pretty good, and I plan on picking up the Bluray eventually.

I'd guess that in 2-3 weeks people will be selling their purchases for $2.00 on half.com or offering the general public $20 to take it off their hands.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I'd guess that in 2-3 weeks people will be selling their purchases for $2.00 on half.com or offering the general public $20 to take it off their hands.

You didn't happen to buy the Bluray did you? I'm always looking for a bargin.

 

[Louis]

Thank goodness no.

 

[Stout]

Respectfully, completely disagree. Yes, it's unbelievable that Whitaker could keep up (although he was following the girl and not the terrorist--you missed that bit), and it finally did get old that it kept rewinding, but it was still fresh. A different style than what we're used to, and I thank Hollywood for it. Not a great film, but fun nonetheless.

 

[earthsci]

Not a great film, but fun nonetheless.

My feelings too. Glad I didn't pay at the theater but enjoyed the rental.

 

[Louis]

Respectfully, completely disagree. Yes, it's unbelievable that Whitaker could keep up (although he was following the girl and not the terrorist--you missed that bit), and it finally did get old that it kept rewinding, but it was still fresh. A different style than what we're used to, and I thank Hollywood for it. Not a great film, but fun nonetheless.

He dumped the girl off with a cop and continued on the chase as the suspect ran by.

Spoiler

She only came into play later again when as if by a miracle the mom just happened to be completely away from the actual crowd and the little girl ran away from the cop and decided to run off. Which was kind of weird and hokey.

It's also kind of funny how the newsreporter dies though she was further away, meanwhile Quaid and other agents and the suspected terrorist walk away pretty much untouched after being in the direct path of the explosion.

Though I wish they tried to explain the girl/cop relationship more. Why would he use his authority to sneak a bag into this event for her? Yes they were dating, but I could never imagine a scenario where I would become a security hazard for anybody. Let alone some chick I was dating and just seen with another man planning to meet her later.

Though you can color me surprised that Hurt wasn't a bad guy.

 

[Stout]

He dumped the girl off with a cop and continued on the chase as the suspect ran by.

Spoiler

She only came into play later again when as if by a miracle the mom just happened to be completely away from the actual crowd and the little girl ran away from the cop and decided to run off. Which was kind of weird and hokey.

It's also kind of funny how the newsreporter dies though she was further away, meanwhile Quaid and other agents and the suspected terrorist walk away pretty much untouched after being in the direct path of the explosion.

Actually, not terribly surprising. Explosions are not always predictable, and sometimes the closer you are to an explosion the safer you are.

Though I wish they tried to explain the girl/cop relationship more. Why would he use his authority to sneak a bag into this event for her? Yes they were dating, but I could never imagine a scenario where I would become a security hazard for anybody. Let alone some chick I was dating and just seen with another man planning to meet her later.

Though you can color me surprised that Hurt wasn't a bad guy.

I can certainly understand you not liking the film. I enjoyed it myself.

 

[Pariah]

Spoiler

She only came into play later again when as if by a miracle the mom just happened to be completely away from the actual crowd and the little girl ran away from the cop and decided to run off. Which was kind of weird and hokey.

It's also kind of funny how the newsreporter dies though she was further away, meanwhile Quaid and other agents and the suspected terrorist walk away pretty much untouched after being in the direct path of the explosion.

Though I wish they tried to explain the girl/cop relationship more. Why would he use his authority to sneak a bag into this event for her? Yes they were dating, but I could never imagine a scenario where I would become a security hazard for anybody. Let alone some chick I was dating and just seen with another man planning to meet her later.

Though you can color me surprised that Hurt wasn't a bad guy.

Re: your spoiler

Spoiler

He didn't know what was in the bag. That's why he yells at some point "I was set up!" and also why he flips out when she throws it under the podium.

Re: the movie

I liked it...up until the end. I thought it ended too abruptly and too neat and tidy. Also, I would have liked to learn more about the motivations of the bad guys. What were they planning on doing?

I can understand why people might not like it. I'd bet that a lot of this film ended up on the cutting room floor and in it could easily have been a 3 hour movie.

Also, unfortunately, I figured out who was the key to the operation almost right away. I think the director clued in on subtle moments too much and gave it away.

 

[UncleChris]

It had good potential and a good cast, but ultimately was an overall letdown, mostly for the reasons cited here (in particular, replaying the first 20 minutes about 5 times). Ok as a renter, but that's about it.... 2.5 out of 5 stars.

 

[Pariah]

(in particular, replaying the first 20 minutes about 5 times).

I didn't have any problem with that at all. I thought it was neat, and each time they went to a different "vantage point" it added to the story.

 

[UncleChris]

I didn't have any problem with that at all. I thought it was neat, and each time they went to a different "vantage point" it added to the story.

Funny, because I liked the idea, but there was something about the execution of it that didn't set well with me. Just hit me badly, for some reason...

 

[Bada0Bing]

I recently watched this and was slightly disappointed. I had read that this was supposed to be a modern day Rashomon. I wish I wouldn't have read that because it set my expectations too high.