In this case, the hook is quite simple. Vantage Point shows a single incident, a terrorist attack at a "War on Terror" summit in Spain, from several different perspectives. Hence the title. As the film opens, we see the attack from the point of view of an on site news team. Following the horrific event, the film zips back–literally–to twenty minutes before the attack, and replays the same scenario from a different point of view.

Vantage Point is fast enough. At a tight ninety minute running time, it zips along at a brisk pace throwing twists, double crosses, and car chases at an alarming rate. Sadly, the twists aren't terribly surprising. In fact, one of them is blatantly given away in the coming attraction trailer, and it's a silly, unbelievable one at that. The second big twist isn't too much of a shocker either. The common film goer will most likely have it pegged in the first five minutes of the picture.

The performances are passable. Dennis Quaid is fairly solid as the secret service agent out to protect the President, although it does appear that he's watched In the Line of Fire one too many times. Forest Whitaker plays an American tourist who, for whatever reason, is doing a little sight seeing in Spain even though his marriage back home is falling apart. Whitaker desperately attempts to bring humanity to the role, but sadly, he overplays much of the proceedings. It should be said though, that the role wasn't that deep to begin with. An actor of Whitaker's stature certainly deserves better.

Vantage Point's multiple start over gimmick certainly wore a bit thin, at least at the screening I attended. I could hear a few moans and chuckles in the crowd by the time the clock started over for the fifth time, but whereas silly, brainless action films go, this one makes more sense than Jumper, so that's saying something I suppose.

This isn't a bad film, but it isn't entirely memorable either. Unlike Peter Berg's modest hit The Kingdom, a movie that managed to walk that fine line between commercial action picture and provocative expose on the war in the Middle East, director Pete Travis and his screenwriting team have much less ambition. They simply want you to put on your seat belt and hold on for dear life. Sadly, they come up a bit short. Vantage Point plays more like a weak episode of 24, but since 24 is on hiatus until next January, I suppose this will have to hold us over.