Review of Vantage Point (2008) by Lenny R — 13 Feb 2011

In case you care, this comment contains spoilers.

A clever concept for a movie turned into a movie coasting on how clever its concept is. It's over-earnest, light on theme, and full of silly 'twists' and completely unintersting action, including one of the most needlessly long and least thrilling car chases I've ever witnessed, in which we see a burnt-out, shell-shocked Dennis Quaid expertly steer an Astra at speed through traffic while dialling a phone with one hand and not watching the road. Matthew Fox and Forest Whitaker are as unappealing as always, and a number of generally interesting actors are completely wasted; in fact, I'd go so far as to say the movie lost me as soon as Zoe Saldana died (i.e. five minutes in). I actually booed when the president (seriously, where are you going to find another dude who looks that much like William Hurt? I thought this was a SERIOUS FILM) clubbed Ayelet Zurer with the metal bar. But in the end it comes down to a little girl too stupid not to stand in the middle of a busy street despite being old enough to know what a bad idea that is. Really, that's the best way for this movie to end; it's full of people who should know better, but are pretending they don't. I've only given it two stars because of how entertainingly terrible it is. It only deserves one.