MONKEY REVIEW: Vantage Point
July 8, 2008
Vantage Point is an effective action/conspiracy thriller, no more, no less. It’s not out to make a great statement about the war on terror, though it’s set during a international summit on the war on terror being held in Spain, nor is it much on character development, though it’s got a solid cast, headed by Dennis Quaid and William Hurt. The plot involves an assassination attempt on the President of the United States, and the movie shows the same twenty-three minutes of the attempt, seen through the eyes of various characters, thus the title Vantage Point. It’s a bit like 24 done like Run Lola Run, except unlike that latter film, the events remain the same every time the movie quite literally rewinds itself, although audiences get a bit more information with every viewing, and finally learn everything by the end. There’s not a lot of depth here, but I don’t think that was ever the point, really: Vantage Point is exciting, suspenseful popcorn entertainment, and I had a good time watching it.
MONKEY RATING: TWO MONKEYS
(For a brief explanation of the Monkey Review rating system, click here.)
