RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Vantage Point
Vantage Point

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Vantage Point (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
35 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 150

Fresh: 53

Rotten:97

Average Rating: 5/10

Consensus: Vantage Point has an interesting premise that is completely undermined by fractured storytelling and wooden performances.

Australian Rating: M [See Full Rating] Moderate action violence and coarse language

Runtime: 90 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Australian Theatrical Release:
Mar 13, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $72,266,306

Synopsis: A presidential assassination attempt is told from multiple points of view in Pete Travis's directorial debut, VANTAGE POINT. U.S. president Ashton (William Hurt) is in Salamanca, Spain (though much... A presidential assassination attempt is told from multiple points of view in Pete Travis's directorial debut, VANTAGE POINT. U.S. president Ashton (William Hurt) is in Salamanca, Spain (though much of the film was actually shot in Mexico), to announce plans for a major global summit on terrorism. But as he stands behind the podium in front of an adoring crowd (with protesters blocked off from the stage), he is shot twice, followed shortly by a small explosion and then a massive blast. Secret Service Agents Barnes (Dennis Quaid), Taylor (Matthew Fox), and Holden (Richard T. Jones) immediately jump into action, trying to find the terrorists responsible amid all the chaos. The thriller first shows the events through the eyes of television news producer Rex Brooks (Sigourney Weaver), and then the film rewinds, replaying the action from a different point of view. Each perspective reveals a few more clues, then rewinds again, taking the audience through the assassination attempt and its aftermath again. VANTAGE POINT has the feel of the 1950 Akira Kurosawa classic RASHOMON, told with the speed of the television show 24. The all-star cast also includes Forest Whitaker, who gives another fine performance, playing an American tourist recording everything on his video camera. The rewind device--reminiscent of the Bill Murray comedy GROUNDHOG DAY--could have been gimmicky, but instead Travis and first-time screenwriter Barry L. Levy make it work, as more details are revealed with each flashback, leading to a pulse-pounding chase and surprising finale. [More]

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Zoe Saldana

Director: Pete Travis

Director: Pete Travis
Screenwriter: Barry L. Levy
Producer: Neal H. Moritz
Composer: Atli Orvarsson
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
    William Hurt
    >
    Edgar Ramirez
    >
    Dennis Quaid
    >
  • Forest Whitaker
    >
    Matthew Fox
    >
    Vantage Point Exclusive Clip
    >
1 - 4 of 7

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Vantage Point

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Vantage Point is a tense and imaginative thriller that reels you in the longer it goes along, only to lose focus in the last 15 minutes. This final reel misstep is a shame, but it’s not enough to ruin all the good work that’s come before it.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine Australasia | comment 1 Comment
03/20/08
Rod Yates
Empire Magazine Australasia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With a little more work this could have been a first-rate thriller along the lines of the Bourne films, because the concept is intriguing and our interest is held for a significant part of the film.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment Comment
03/19/08
Margaret Pomeranz
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This pseudo-political action thriller is rather half baked editorially but otherwise overcooked.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
03/06/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Vantage Point is a patented representative of this year's early mediocrity. Vantage Point is trailer trash.

Full Review Source: Fayetteville Free Weekly | comment Comment
02/02/09
Tony Macklin
Fayetteville Free Weekly

For movies like Vantage Point, life is too short.

Full Review Source: Projection Booth | comment Comment
08/24/08
Rob Humanick
Projection Booth

If you are looking for mindless action, it's not bad. But since this is trying to be something more than that, I can't quite recommend it.

Full Review Source: Sin Magazine | comment Comment
07/22/08
Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine

The whodunit-with-terrorist-undertones doesn't test, shock or surprise the audience in any unique way.

Full Review Source: Spectrum (St. George, Utah) | comment Comment
07/19/08
Bruce Bennett
Spectrum (St. George, Utah)

It swears it's being clever yet refuses to trust the audience.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/17/08
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Asks us to believe the terrorists would, after slaughtering countless people, risk their entire plan--and their very lives--on...well, I won't say. But from my vantage point, it was ridiculous.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
07/01/08
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

[Vantage Point is] a puzzle cut by a drunken, three-fingered jigsaw operator who lost a few pieces and chewed on a few others.

Full Review Source: Paste Magazine | comment Comment
06/08/08
Robert Davis
Paste Magazine

To fall for Vantage Point you have to throw away any connection to reality.

Full Review Source: Windy City Times | comment Comment
05/22/08
Richard Knight
Windy City Times

This is satisfying Friday night popcorn fare - slick and noisy and utterly disposable.

Full Review Source: Mansized | comment Comment
05/13/08
Chris Laverty
Mansized

If you thought 24's perspective on terrorism was, well, limited, get ready to groan. The meat and potatoes of Vantage Point -- the suicide bomb explosions, the bloody fisticuffs and blaring car chases -- are indeed awesome, and that's what truly matters f

Full Review Source: Peterborough This Week | comment Comment
04/15/08
Mike Sage
Peterborough This Week

Those inclined to scrutinize the logic of Barry Levy's screenplay are likely to come away as baffled by its farfetched twists as amused by its bombastic excesses.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
04/10/08
Rossiter Drake
San Francisco Examiner

Vantage Point takes a pretty high concept, dribbles a bunch of red herrings all over it, and makes things go boom, reaping better yields than the average TV show.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
03/29/08
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina

When you wrap a movie around a gimmick, the wrapping better be taut and engaging or the gimmick falls flat.

Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment Comment
03/27/08
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

As Vantage Point becomes increasingly busy with personal betrayals and redemptions, the ostensible politics, reductive to begin with, fall by the wayside.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
03/21/08
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

There's roughly 20 minutes of story here, and no matter how many times they stop and start over again from an even more preposterous angle, it's still going to play out like a lousy episode of 24.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment 2 Comments
03/17/08
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

If you're watching for perfectly matched action you're not into the mystery and you probably aren't going to be very sympathetic to the effort involved.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
03/17/08
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

Writer Barry Levy has added some snap, crackle and pop to what would otherwise be a routine action film had it been presented in chronological order.

Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
03/16/08
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for Vantage Point

June 30, 2008: RT on DVD: Tarantino on Inglorious Bastards DVD, Godfather Trilogy Restored
This week in DVD news, Francis Ford Coppola brings you the Godfather trilogy (again), Quentin Tarantino is super excited about the original Inglorious Bastards, and Hancock may... More...

June 28, 2008: Surveillance cinema at its best, with audience attention span on high alert, camcorders and palm pilots elbowing their way in, and plenty of optic nerve to spare. Opens in new window
More...

April 09, 2008: UK Box Office Breakdown: Son of Rambow Highest New Entry
In a piece of news almost as heartwarming as the film itself, Son of Rambow came in at second place in the UK box office this week, with the British indie nabbing almost... More...

March 19, 2008: UK Box Office Breakdown: 10,000 B.C. claims no. 1 spot
Roland Emmerich's 10,000 B.C. claims the UK box office number 1 spot, despite being panned by critics. More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Vantage Point

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
22%
22%
Push
12%
12%
The Unborn

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Directors transform

Directors transform

What if Michael Bay wasn't director?

New Alice Pics

New Alice Pics

Glimpse Tim Burton's vision of Wonderland.

Public Enemies Clips

Public Enemies Clips

Latest videos from Depp and Mann

Best Movie Robots

Best Movie Robots

We pick the 50 best 'bots of all time

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
86
  • Brandon Routh Talks Superman's Future Source: Moviehole
89
  • Sony's Amy Pascal Explains Moneyball Balk Source: Los Angeles Times
6
  • Three Theaters Getting Harry Potter in IMAX Opening Day Source: Collider.com
18
  • Weekly Ketchup: Adam Sandler joins The Zookeeper, David Fincher joins Facebook
72
  • Zak Penn Talks The Avengers Source: Sci Fi Wire
20
  • Watchmen Director's Cut Headed to Theaters Source: Collider.com
32
  • Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks G.I. Joe, Beverly Hills Cop 4, More Source: Collider.com
14
  • (Teaser) Trailer Bulletin: The Last Airbender Source: MTV
61
  • Johnny Depp Talks Alice, Pirates 4, Dark Shadows Source: Collider.com
12
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Critics Consensus: Solid Public Enemies Doesn't Quite Bring The Noise
104
  • Total Recall: Johnny Depp's Best Movies
88
  • Five Favorite Films with Fred Durst
87
  • RoboGeisha: 2009's Most Insane Trailer?
79
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
43
  • RT on DVD: Street Fighter, Transmorphers 2, and Uwe Boll's Tunnel Rats!
36
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers and Ice Age Tie for Top Spot
29
  • Academy Invites Tyler Perry, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen to Join Oscar Ranks
28
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Dinosaurs and Gangsters Spark Fireworks
23
  • Karl Malden: 1912-2009
17
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Vantage Point at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Vantage Point at IGN
  • Vantage Point at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
10 Questions for JJ Abrams
10 Questions for JJ Abrams External Link

J.J. Abrams has done it all: writing, producing, and directing for TV and movies. He answers reader questions here for TIME.

50 Greatest Movie Trailers
50 Greatest Movie Trailers External Link

IFC channel counts down the best film trailers, ever. Allegedly...

Shut the f**k up, Donny
Shut the f**k up, Donny External Link

Forget the AFI, here's the other 100 Greatest Movie Quotes...

Competitions
Win <em>Transformers</em> Generation One Packs!
Win Transformers Generation One Packs! External Link

Prime old-school animation action to win, thanks to Madman

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.