You all know what an airport novel is, right? You're going on a lengthy airflight that'll take several hours, and you buy junk at one of the airport's stores. Candy, food, or specifically a cheap novel to read. Usually such a novel is a genre-plot boiler that engages the reader, but nothing spiritually or intellectually deep.
Once you're done with said book, you almost completely forget about it a few hours later. There will come a time when you can't remember if you actually read it or not. But it made you ignore about the damn crying baby or whatever other hells that come with coach.
That whole THE DA VINCI CODE nonsense was based on such a silly airport novel, one that became insanely popular. I don't fault anyone for liking that book. But I think its funny that in the same summer we got the incredibly mediocre film adaptation of CODE, we got THE SENTINEL, the quintessential airport cinema novel.
Well, at least for the year of 2006. Which is funny, since its based on an airport novel written by Gerald Petievich, who also penned TO LIVE & DIE IN L.A., another book-turned-movie about a corrupt Secret Service agent.
Anyway, you'll see nothing new with THE SENTINEL. Michael Douglas is the ultimo-Secret Service agent who's been framed as the traitor mole, and a pawn in an international conspiracy with sights to assassinate the U.S. President* at the G8 Summit.
Hot after Douglas is Jack Bauer, who despite being on TV for many years as one of the networks' top hit programs still apparently hasn't mustered enough Hollywood points to be the leading star in an action vehicle. Eva Longoria is the pretty co-star who's a nice useless prop, but like any guys watch her as an acting thespian.
Would you be shocked if I told you that Douglas, on the run from his own co-workers, has to prove his innocence?
Anyway, certainly the mystery regarding who the actual traitor is will consume your attention, and once that's revealed, you might be let down if you were expecting a clever twist or surprise this side of THE USUAL SUSPECTS. Its an airport novel, remember?
However, THE SENTINEL still works as a passable action-thriller ticket without making you feel like you're watching a passable action-thriller ticket.
I remember years back on my trip to Europe, while on the transatlantic flight to London, I had read Steven Pressfield's GATES OF FIRE. I enjoyed it, but it was a pretty melodramatic soap opera mixed in with the cliche Hollywood historical period epics. But I enjoyed it. Never the less when my plane landed, I left the book in the open pocket of the seat in front of me.
The fact that I feel the same way with THE SENTINEL, is that a compliment or a slap?
