The start of "Vantage Point" was so good that it actually got my hopes up as I thought I was going to be in for a good action thriller. It's too bad that after the assassination of the President (William Hurt) shown through the scope of a CNN type cable News broadcast (GNN- instead of a "C" it has a "G." Get it? CNN? GNN?) the story is pretty much over, so they add some action scenes and car chases because they're all out of ideas. Sigourney Weaver is very good in this five minute opening scene that throws us directly into the fire without any set up once so ever. It's just
BAM!! Even though we know what's coming- which is routine throughout the film- it's still a very effective start. Then, we get the same thing played back to us over and over again from a large quantity of people's perspective. Instead of becoming interesting it becomes boring and trivial. It's no longer effective. We've seen it all and we become increasingly more impatient. Even though everything is always not what it seems, and everyone is always looking at same thing and seeing something different we know where the film is going, but it drags in getting there.
The trailer gives away one of the huge plot twists in the film (I think there was supposed to be another, but that could also be seen from a mile away. Think- Rogue. Cliché? You bet.). The President used a double and it was he who was shot. Did the double die? We'll never know. I think the writer or director of the film forgot because of so many flashbacks. What does it want to do? They know they want to show the assassination of the President through the eyes of many, but as the plot expands to such wide extremes it just becomes muddled in its own fecal matter. Eventually the film is no longer about perspective, but about car chases and shootouts. This is where the plot holes come roaring in one after another and the overly done clichés continue. Dennis Quaid gives one of the worst acting performances of this millennium along with the guy from "Lost," who has such a big secret, both he and the writer can't wait to tell you. They hint at it long enough to actually make you wonder if they're stupid enough to go through with it, so you may doubt what they're going to do, because it's set up so poorly. You think they're trying to trick you, but trust your instincts. Expect terrible clichés and you'll know exactly where the film is headed.
The dialogue was horrendous. The coincidences were through the roof. The predictability starts in the trailer. I was laughing at it, literally, laughing at its terrible execution. There was no substance to this once so ever. It's like they got to a point were they were done with all the flashbacks and said, "Let's have a 10 minute car chase and a bunch of shootouts." I loved when the guy from "Lost" turns around after he's carrying the President off the stage and looks at Quaid and says "find that shooter!"
It's just so laughable. The car chase is terrible. For some inexplicit reason a little girl that Forest Whitaker takes a fond liking to is running through a highway- that for some odd reason isn't closed off during or after such an incredible event. An ambulance truck driven by terrorists are flying down the highway at her as she stands in the middle of the road screaming for about 30 seconds. It was like "Austin Powers" where they make fun of movies where they have morons standing in the road screaming for a long time instead of steeping back off the road and avoiding the oncoming car. As the little girl stands there screaming, coincidentally, the driver is preoccupied and not looking at the road (Yes, that cliché). When he turns around, he sees the girl in the street so he flips the truck instead of killing another innocent life. For some reason he tries to avoid her. This guy is responsible for killing a lot of people, but now he quickly grows a heart. Then Forest does something that is completely shocking. Not!!!! Just another cliché that has been done before. There's just nothing here to get excited about. It starts off good then continually get's worse and worse and by the end you'll find yourself watching some of the worst scenes in film history.
"The beauty of American arrogance is that they can't imagine a world where they're not a step ahead."
Interestingly enough this quote came out of this film and interestingly enough the filmmakers add to that "arrogance" of always being a step a head. Look who lives and look who dies when some of the people who don't look like they're going to live end up living. More Pro-American, Anti-Anyone else clichés.
"Vantage Point" is one of the most ridiculous films you're ever going to come across. Especially, when you're watching Dennis Quaid turn into Superman as he brushes off bullets, or when he jumps out of a car that was T-Boned into a building with him getting crushed in between the car and an 18 wheeler that weighs about 10 tons. He simply jumps out of the car, unscathed, and brushes off his shoulders. That's not a joke. That's actually what he does. This was more effective as a comedy and what made it so funny was that the filmmakers took it so seriously. This film is a joke. Another stinker for 2008 for Forest Whitaker to add to the heap of crap after his great performance in "The Last King of Scotland," which seems decades ago. Now he looks like a below average actor, which he might be.
The trailer gives away one of the huge plot twists in the film (I think there was supposed to be another, but that could also be seen from a mile away. Think- Rogue. Cliché? You bet.). The President used a double and it was he who was shot. Did the double die? We'll never know. I think the writer or director of the film forgot because of so many flashbacks. What does it want to do? They know they want to show the assassination of the President through the eyes of many, but as the plot expands to such wide extremes it just becomes muddled in its own fecal matter. Eventually the film is no longer about perspective, but about car chases and shootouts. This is where the plot holes come roaring in one after another and the overly done clichés continue. Dennis Quaid gives one of the worst acting performances of this millennium along with the guy from "Lost," who has such a big secret, both he and the writer can't wait to tell you. They hint at it long enough to actually make you wonder if they're stupid enough to go through with it, so you may doubt what they're going to do, because it's set up so poorly. You think they're trying to trick you, but trust your instincts. Expect terrible clichés and you'll know exactly where the film is headed.
The dialogue was horrendous. The coincidences were through the roof. The predictability starts in the trailer. I was laughing at it, literally, laughing at its terrible execution. There was no substance to this once so ever. It's like they got to a point were they were done with all the flashbacks and said, "Let's have a 10 minute car chase and a bunch of shootouts." I loved when the guy from "Lost" turns around after he's carrying the President off the stage and looks at Quaid and says "find that shooter!"
It's just so laughable. The car chase is terrible. For some inexplicit reason a little girl that Forest Whitaker takes a fond liking to is running through a highway- that for some odd reason isn't closed off during or after such an incredible event. An ambulance truck driven by terrorists are flying down the highway at her as she stands in the middle of the road screaming for about 30 seconds. It was like "Austin Powers" where they make fun of movies where they have morons standing in the road screaming for a long time instead of steeping back off the road and avoiding the oncoming car. As the little girl stands there screaming, coincidentally, the driver is preoccupied and not looking at the road (Yes, that cliché). When he turns around, he sees the girl in the street so he flips the truck instead of killing another innocent life. For some reason he tries to avoid her. This guy is responsible for killing a lot of people, but now he quickly grows a heart. Then Forest does something that is completely shocking. Not!!!! Just another cliché that has been done before. There's just nothing here to get excited about. It starts off good then continually get's worse and worse and by the end you'll find yourself watching some of the worst scenes in film history.
"The beauty of American arrogance is that they can't imagine a world where they're not a step ahead."
Interestingly enough this quote came out of this film and interestingly enough the filmmakers add to that "arrogance" of always being a step a head. Look who lives and look who dies when some of the people who don't look like they're going to live end up living. More Pro-American, Anti-Anyone else clichés.
"Vantage Point" is one of the most ridiculous films you're ever going to come across. Especially, when you're watching Dennis Quaid turn into Superman as he brushes off bullets, or when he jumps out of a car that was T-Boned into a building with him getting crushed in between the car and an 18 wheeler that weighs about 10 tons. He simply jumps out of the car, unscathed, and brushes off his shoulders. That's not a joke. That's actually what he does. This was more effective as a comedy and what made it so funny was that the filmmakers took it so seriously. This film is a joke. Another stinker for 2008 for Forest Whitaker to add to the heap of crap after his great performance in "The Last King of Scotland," which seems decades ago. Now he looks like a below average actor, which he might be.