Vantage Point

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Vantage Point_360P

source: Vantage Point

This film is such a monumental failure on so many levels I wonder what company those other reviewers really work for. Interesting idea to tell a story from eight vantage points - as long as they're not the same vantage point! This films fails in so many ways that it is a real wonder if the studio execs ever saw a print before release. The real problem is that the eight perspectives of the 'event' are all from people that were at the same place & time and the audience must suffer through eight dull recounts of the same story with the added bonus of a little piece of the puzzle thrown in at the very end of the eight separate segments. This breaks the cardinal rule of entertainment which is "Don't bore your audience". If you want to tell the same story eight times either tell it from completely different perspectives, or different locations. The problem was that every one of the characters, except one were at the same place. After the third recount the audience started to laugh at the ridiculous idea that they would have to suffer through another segment of the same event once more. You could hear were groans as the cheap rewinding 'device' played. This was the movies main problem. Other issues include complete lack of direction of actors or just plain poor direction, lack of any realism as far as government security agency procedures(i.e. the secret service), believable or at least interesting characters ( I picked out the 'surprise' heavy immediately), even the focus on some shots! (I'm talking about static MED & CUs) The film was dreck. I want my money back.

Inside Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain the president (William Hurt) is preparing himself to make a speech on the anti-terrorism international summit For months, President Ashton has been working with leaders from five continents to take a stand against global terror… Security services were on high alert… But suddenly agent Thomas Barnes (Dennis Quaid) saw something like a flash of light and two shots were heard… The president appears to have been hit… It also appears there was a mysterious woman with the name of Veronica (Ayelet Zurer) throwing 'something' underneath the podium But soon Barnes discovers that something has gone rogue and there's something else going on… It's like somebody has been set up… It's like this war will never end Viewed through different points of view and multiple perspectives, "Vantage Point" is an extremely energetic motion picture featuring the best I've seen of car chases used to maximum effect by director Pete Travis

I don't want to give this 1 star, I wanted to like it, but it failed on so many counts to be either impressive or clever it's all it deserves. The story line could have actually said something, 24 hour media, terrorist threats, international cooperation, a US president doing something International - not unilateral. But it seemed to start an idea and then give up on it. I enjoyed the back flipping of time, but the continuity was terrible and the plot holes were too big to be forgiven. I'll allow a certain amount of coincidence in a film. But to accept all that this film asks is too much. Even the car chase, which was exciting and well shot, was horribly let down by the lack of continuity (damage and car badges, signs, models) If you don't want a European audience that's fine - but at least try to hide that it's mostly shot in Mexico. Do we shoot in Australia and claim it's the US? Finally. If i did forgive all of the above, and accept it as an action film with a few faults. The dialogue would still have been rock bottom. I've never heard the sound of a cinema audience's collective eyes rolling before. I know i should have read reviews first. But I'm trying to make up for it by writing this one.

I enjoyed the movie. Dennis Quaid and Forrest Whittaker carried the movie and made it an enjoyable experience. For anyone that is easily made motion sick, the camera work is very shaky during the chase scene and had it lasted much longer would have detracted from the overall experience for me personally. The way the story was told was different but kept me engaged right to the end. I would recommend seeing this film if you get the chance.There is a little something for everyone here. Action, drama, a couple of jokes, and some nice views. There are some actors in this movie that may not be well known, but overall I think everyone in it did an adequate job. If you are a fan of Dennis Quaid you should really like this movie.

I thought this film was excellent! I heard some people complaining and saw some of the complaints here on IMDb, but this film is genius. Of course it shows the same scene over and over- that is the entire premise of the movie! So for people to say that it bothered them...well, they must like more uninformative plots, i.e. Jumper. The film starts off with a stickler of a news producer shouting off orders to camera men as the President enters for a speech at a world meeting in Spain. The President, obviously, is shot, but it was the loud and unexpected BOOM that caused me to jump. From there the story rewinds to 23 minutes earlier at 12:00. It replays from all the different vantage points several times. Seeing it over and over is not annoying, though, again, those who might prefer a less engaging story might think it is. Each time the scene rewinds we learn something new about the conference, the people attending, and where the "gunmen" are located. Each scene leaves you on the edge of your seat exhaling slowly as you wait for your adrenaline to slow. The ending is also so explosive and heart-pounding, I held my husband's hand with the "grip of death" in anticipation. This film is definitely worth the overpriced ticket at the box office. It deserves to be seen on the big screen.

I had the opportunity to see this tonight and it was good. The action scenes were intense. This is definitely original with the way they did it but after the 3rd time (you will see what I am talking about once you see it-I cant give it away here) it was starting to get a little annoying as I did see some people walk out the theater. Dennis Quaid did an awesome job, as usual, he alone makes this movie. I never suspected how it ended and the creativity and concept was genius but in my opinion need some adjustments. The director must be a big fan of movies like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and CLOVERFIELD (camera effects) as I was starting to get a big headache with camera shaking and bouncing around but finally stopped. It did seem like you were actually there right in the middle of it and experiencing what was going on. I can see this movie making a lot of $$ the first week but will fast fizzle out. Kudos to Forest Whitaker, awesome job. Great movie to see but I was a little disappointed in the final edited cut.

How do we begin?The President is shot, Secret Service agents chase down a "shooter", unconnected characters intersect in increasingly meaningless ways. Oh and did I mention the GROUNDHOG DAY-esqe time rewind? Audible audience laughter is not what you expect to hear in a thriller. When a film with such a reasonable premise is butchered and ultimately ends up dying an ignoble death, my first question was where was the strong hand of the director? Or the screenwriter? This film stinks of heavy handed hacking after test audience screening. It must hurt to lose control of your film. I was teased by what appears on paper to be a stellar cast-William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, Forest Whitaker, Hollywood's favourite LOST boy-Matthew Fox. I can only hint at the angry disappointment I felt after the credits rolled. All of these actors have performed admirably in similar roles--here they are groundless, and the prestige they could have brought to the film is squandered. Sigourney Weaver brings some pathos, only to be cast aside when her story plot is terminated. Dennis Quaid tries his best as the Secret Service agent trying to quell his demons, but he's not Clint Eastwood, and this is not IN THE LINE OF FIRE. William Hurt can be Presidential in his sleep, give him some depth please. Matthew Fox has no reason speaking bad Spanish when his co-pilot is speaking perfect English, Forest Whitaker does his best mumbly, stumbly, heavy faced bit, but his part in the story is simply meaningless, I'm happy he gets to reconcile with his wife and son, but please people, The President has been shot, blown up, kidnapped, drugged and tossed around an ambulance in a multi-car pile up....so is it ESSENTIAL to waste a final shot on Forest talking on a cell phone to his unseen son??...Someone must have some minutes to use up. Ultimately VANTAGE POINT is half the film it could have been, it lacks sufficient character motivation or back story, the characters are caricatures, the script is diluted to the point of meaningless and while it sports a great climatic car chase, the final scene is as implausible as they come-----a highly trained band of ruthless conspirators, toting the latest in high tech gadgetry, killing co-conspirators as they see fit, assisted by an inside man, successfully pull off TWO intricate operations and on the road to getting away scot-free, only to be undone because an irrelevant character JAYWALKS! Come on, we are smarter than that and as film makers you should be smart enough to know that.