User reviews

"Shooter" is a tale about a patriot who gets used & abused by the government that he swore allegiance to. Even worse, they do nasty things to his dog. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to run off to Canada, not because you hate your country but because you hate the goons who are running it. But don't pack your hockey stick just yet because the story provides enough satisfying turns to keep things entertaining rather than depressing.

"Bob Lee Swagger" (Mark Wahlberg) is an Army sniper, one of the best, who is given the assignment of planning--but not executing--an assassination. That's all I'll say about the plot because the fun part is riding all the twists & turns that follow. Danny Glover plays his government liaison while at the top is Ned Beatty playing a questionable senator.

What follows is an action packed political conspiracy thriller along the lines of a Tom Clancy story ("Clear and Present Danger", "Patriot Games") but with the noticeable difference that our hero Bob is a total badass, sort of like a dash of "First Blood". And that's what makes this movie really fun when he starts to take things on the offensive.

My only criticism is, as I implied in my title, a few preposterous things happen so be prepared. You know, stuff like when a person gets shot multiple times but is still able to swim across the Delaware River. (I mean bullets, sure, but all that Jersey waste'll kill ya faster than battery acid.) But if you can go along for the ride without raising too many eyebrows, this flick will definitely keep you riveted from start to finish. Bonus points for being shot in Philadelphia, the perfect city for a story like this.

If you were to take the best parts of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series (Patriot Games, Clear And Present Danger, Sum of All Fears) and mixed in the best parts of the only good Rambo film (First Blood) you would end up with something akin to Shooter. Shooter is a smart, engaging and all out enjoyable action flick that never pulls its punches and always surprises you when you least expect it.

Mark Whalberg plays the role of Bob Lee Swagger, a former military sniper who quit the army following a disastrous mission where his best friend and spotter is killed when they are left behind. Three years later he is hired by a Colonel (played with gusto by Danny Glover) to figure out how a suspected assassin is going to attempt to kill the President from over a mile away, a shot that few could make. Swagger figures out how it is going to be done and is asked to supervise locating the sniper on site. But on the day of the supposed assassination, Swagger is set up with the assassination attempt that kills a visiting diplomat. Swagger is then left on the hunt while trying to prove his innocence.

Shooter twists and turns with an elaborate conspiracy that is very convincing, though of course the writers wimp out and take the cheap road of drawing international oil into the plot (can't writers think of an original plot device?). However, this is hardly a drawback since the rest of the film is solid as a rock. The film really puts you into the shoes of a sniper and gives an impressive overview of the mindset that it takes to be as accurate as someone of the character of Swagger.

The only real distractions in the film would be Elias Koteas, whose psycho performance is heavy-handed and does not fit the film, and Kate Mara who has little to do throughout the film but appear upset or in distress. The film could have done without either characters or their respective actors. As well, some of the character relations seem forced at time, particularly in the relationship between Michael Peña's character of Nick Memphis and his FBI confidante Lourdes, played by Rhona Mitra. Their almost effortless camaraderie comes off as less than convincing.

Overall, Shooter certainly delivers as an entertaining thrill-ride that is certainly not dumbed down in the least. If you want an intelligent action film with lots of impressive gun play and several elaborate, thrilling action sequences to boot, Shooter is right up your alley and will not disappoint. 7.6 out of 10

I had the opportunity to catch an advance screening of this film the other day. Similarities to other projects aside, I was impressed by the use of some of the newer military technology involved. The film was both engaging and entertaining, and Mark Wahlberg did a very good job of portraying the character in all of his idiosyncrasies. It was good to see Danny Glover again as I have not had the opportunity to see him in any films of late. His character was not exactly multidimensional but I would assume that it was what the writing called for, and certainly different from the one he portrays in the "Lethal Weapon" series, not much comedy here. Now if I could only get a hold of the script... Needless to say, my wife and I enjoyed the movie very much and would definitely recommend to go and see it.

23 March 2007. Warning: Spoilers. I can't say I was impressed with the ending, but most of the movie was involving and interesting. This solid action thriller is held together by Mark Walberg and contains the classic "Three Days of Condor" suspense and chase as well as the "The Bourne Identity" sophistication to make an overall nice thriller. Of course Walberg's near escape from death has already been pointed out as being a bit suspicious but the aftermath is handled about as well as any movie I've seen. There is a good interweaving of two characters trying on different tracks to solve this mystery, though its final explanation isn't as nefarious as some movies, more like "The Interpreter." While not in the top flight class of thrillers like "Bourne Supremacy," this movie definitely adds to the quality of this genre. Seven out of Ten Stars.

I watched this film, expecting to be let down. However it really did tick most of the boxes for me. I found it engaging and entertaining all the way through, for me a film where you want to watch through to the end because you WANT to watch, not out of a masochistic urge to "find out what happens". Mark Wahlbergs performance was top notch. Although there are a few "no chance" moments in the film as there always are with these type of films, the majority of it was for me within the realms of possibility. The soundtrack was also excellent and melded well with the action on screen. Both myself and my Fiancée enjoyed this film greatly. I can't really think of any negatives for this film and can only recommend it.

Mark Wahlberg might be the Bruce Willis of the new generation. His taciturn Bobby Swagger is perfect. The action is basically nonstop and very gritty. Bobby is a sniper who has retired to the mountains after being screwed by the government in an event which finds his sidekick dead. After being set up, he is stone cold killer. Think Jason Bourne as someone who remembers his past is really p.o.'d about it. The acting is good all around, with Glover and Beatty as bad guys you love to hate. Underlying all this a morality tale about what this country and its government have become. Many situations, of course, stretch the imagination , but watching a sense of honor prevail, no matter how briefly, is worth the price of admission. No Oscar nominations here, but a big bundle of money for the producers will be no surprise.

I was surprised in many ways by shooter. #1, I was surprised by the release. I follow movies and I didn't hear about this title until early this year. #2, I was amazed by Marks ability to sell me on his acting skills. #3, By the fact that the most established actors in this title, Ned and Danny may have given career killing performances. I think Tony Todd and Stephen Root would have been solid choices, but my guess is the two poor performances were bought for name recognition.

To me this had Eastwood written all over it. At times I thought I was watching Line of Fire at others Unforgiven, but in the end it was just really good entertainment, much like The Bourne movies.

I think it's worth the watch and the story although not new was presented in a fresh manner. This one will go in my collection when available. I'm sure it will have a host of deleted scenes and alternate endings.

Solid film!

Like so many other projects, you have to find something not intended or not well exploited to enjoy it.

The film itself is ordinary, a noir revenge story. Its modern noir because the hero is captured in the story and the twists of reality he goes through are organized for our benefit.

Government conspiracy of extreme competence? Check. Individual with superhuman powers who unfailingly undoes it, leaving no man standing? Check. Pretty girl who gets swept up? Check. There really isn't much else left to the extremely strict formula, expect for the obligatory but minor plot twist associated with our hero's past.

What this has that is interesting are two things.

One is the idea about watching from a distance. These noir things depend on the notion of a watcher, us. Modern noir has a watcher folded into the story. Here, its our hero who can watch and touch from over a mile away. Its a big deal, a big idea that isn't quite exploited here. The director is too ordinary. Tony Scott could have done it.

The second is a short scene in the middle. Its there for purely expository reasons, to explain a key plot point. But its pretty darn good, one wonderful scene in the midst of a tepid movie. It a visit to an old fellow in the country. He's an expert gunsmith, supposedly the best. He's also clued into the "government" who is here portrayed as existing only to create attractive fictions.

The actor is immensely talented. The setup and writing here is a cut above the rest of the script, incisive, deep and many-layered. In the midst of a rant about conspiracies, he mentions that the shooters from the grassy knoll were dead three hours after the JFK shooting and buried in the desert . When slightly questioned our man simply says "I still have the shovel."

Its very impressive writing. It must have been someone else.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

This is a movie that could divide viewers based on the angle it takes. People who hate movies about conspiracies and evil governments will find fault in this one, while those who do believe in those things will probably be more generous. I probably fall in the latter category. I thought the movie was well-made. Fuqua does a good job of concealing the set-up, and I found some of the twists and turns surprising. It was like watching a good chess game. The final ending was satisfying, if not cliched and predictable. The action was pretty good. Yes, Wahlberg's character kills a lot of people. But hey, what was he supposed to do, give them all hugs while they're firing high caliber rounds at him? And if you've seen Wahlberg and Pena in other (action) movies, they tend to play up the comedy in those. In this one, they're mostly playing it straight. Maybe one or two low-key humorous moments, but the overall tone is fairly dark. And they don't show EVERYTHING, like what happened to Kate Mara's character the time she was off-screen while Wahlberg & Pena were in Virginia. Not that I really needed to see the gory details, it felt more glossed over, and didn't explain why she was needed later on. Overall an entertaining flick, good for a weekend rainy afternoon.

Never mess with someone who can drop you with his gun from miles away. Snipers somehow has this aura of mystique and sexiness associated with the motto of "one shot, one kill", as exhibited in movies like Enemy at the Gates, or memorable war characters such as in Saving Private Ryan. In Shooter, this gets demystified for a while, hitting home that not only should one be gifted with the pulling of the trigger from incredible distance, a sniper is also a master mathematician, having to compute the trajectory of the round with factors of humidity, wind direction, angle etc just to hit the target.

Mark Wahlberg stars as Bob Lee Swagger, whom director Antoine Fuqua makes him literally walk with a swagger in all the silhouetted slow motion shots. A battle hardened veteran with ghosts from the past (don't they all), he gets tempted back to assist the authorities in order to feed his patriotic adrenaline, only to find himself screwed and framed for a treasonous crime he did not commit. It's cat and mouse as prey becomes hunter, and tries to exact justice and at the same time, to try and prove his innocence. Expect the usual guns, explosions, and plenty of blood and gore.

Shooter plays off like an urban Rambo meeting The Fugitive, only this time Dr Richard Kimble has biceps the size of melons and fights back with deadly accuracy from his rifle. He runs from the authorities, firmly put as the scheming villains involved in shady deals and the existence of a covert group of greed ala X-Files, one of whom is played by Danny Glover, in a rare turn of alignment to the dark side. No self-respecting beefcake wannabe can do without some DIY operation scene to keep alive, or some montage in gathering and making new weapons (pipe bombs, napalm anyone?), and half the time I was wondering about Mark Wahlberg being the quintessential new generation action hero.

Gone are the days when Hollywood action movie were ruled by the Stallone-Schwarzenegger- VanDamme trio, and surprisingly there are no permanent beefcakes who can readily step into and fill the void. Wahlberg has been slowly inching his way in my opinion, though Marky Mark's filmography of The Italian Job, the Planet of the Apes remake, The Perfect Storm and the more recent Four Brothers, do suggest that more should be done to cement this status, hence Shooter. I can't wait for his Brazilian Job to hit the screens, though that one plays more like an Ocean's Eleven rather than the individual one-man-saves-the-world action hero type. The Departed was a vulgar bit role, so that doesn't count.

Antoine Fuqua is no stranger to directing action movies, or movies with the hero caught up against unfair odds. From Training Day to Tears of the Sun, you can see earlier influences creep their way into Shooter, making it a little familiar territory visited. There are many sweeping shots used to try and epic-ize the movie, and set action sequences take priority, reducing character development to the token time available between scenes, and sometimes at the expense of plausibility.

The supporting cast was fun to watch, as Michael Pena (World Trade Center, Crash) almost stole the show with his rookie FBI character being caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time, and almost against his training, wishes and protocol, forms and becomes an important ally for Wahlberg's Swagger. The woman folk however get relegated to backseat roles, as per the usual Fuqua movies with Eva Mendes, Keira Knightley and Monica Belluci. Don't expect Kate Mara or Rhona Mitra to do much. As for the rest, they are your token cardboard characters, there to chew the scene.

Shooter is an action fan's fodder, and it is nothing more than a guilt trip watching a cowboy of a hero mopping up the town's scum, exactly in the way we like to see justice served - without remorse, exacting, and served extremely cold. A satisfying actioner with the usual thrills and spills.

'Shooter' is a film about a retired marine called Bob Lee Swagger(played by Mark Wahlberg) who is confronted by US Army Colonel Isaac Johnson(played by Danny Glover) and told using his skills to play an assassination on the President. Johnson and his associates review Swaggers. The Presidents guest is killed causing big controversy and Swagger finds out that he has been set up by Johnson and the FBI who suspect Swagger of the killing which he did not do. Swagger is furious and uses his skills and effort to track down the people who did kill the Presidents guest and kill them. This film is absolutely brilliant and has some excellent acting by Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover and Kate Mara. The film is also full of high powered action, intensity, explosions and is definitely an absolutely brilliant film which I really enjoyed watching.

I was quite skeptical at watching the film, and didn't even get around to watching it until just last night(5/13/08), well over a year after it came out. What I saw was a pretty good political analysis as to what the major cover ups are and the cause of this Imperialist oil war.

Yes, they do sprinkle a big ole plop of conspiracy theory, notably burying the snipers who did JFK in the desert. The line, "I still have the shovel" was quite amusing. Yes, the protagonist is a superman with the penchant for arriving in the nick of time and the ability to kill everyone. Chuck Norris isn't as bad as this guy.

What I found to be impressive though was that the movie placed the blame on a consortium of haves. It did not narrowly define exactly who the enemy is, so much as allow for a broader condemnation of capitalism and imperialism. The FBI agent sympathetic to the hero even goes so far as to wear a Che t-shirt.

So, when the aptly named Swagger tells Sarah Fenn, his buddies ex-wife, that the reason he took on the mission was because he fell for patriotism, we are given a quick condemnation of the flag waving jingoism that the US is trying to use to recruit young people for their imperialist wars. The WMD's are brought up, and are quite resonant in the context of a system without morality and only haves and have-nots.

I was impressed with the film.

Director Antoine Fuqua has a style and filmography that I have enjoyed in the past. With Training Day and King Arthur, he delivered some action packed movies that had both story and popcorn pyrotechnics. I will say that after seeing the trailer for his new film Shooter, I was a bit underwhelmed, but until I went to one of his works and was not entertained, I would at least give it a shot. I'm glad I did as Shooter ended up being a well told, nicely paced actioner that knew what it wanted to do at all times and lived up to its goals. We are never led into a situation that may twist in a way that will bring us out of the reality of what is happening; our hero has been framed and he will do anything necessary to find justice. Fuqua tells us who the good guys and who the bad guys are at all times. There is never an opportunity for the audience to second guess someone's motives because the filmmaker is willing to appreciate our intelligence and spin a linear tale of revenge, trying to set things right against a corrupt government.

A big part of the film's success lies in the performance by Mark Wahlberg. I have never been a real fan of his acting prowess, but I must give him credit for getting better each time he is in front of the camera. In my opinion, he was horrible early on in his career in movies like Fear. Sure he had a great turn in Boogie Nights, but I hold that true because he was basically playing himself—a young man new to the entertainment industry, trying to understand his role in it all. Only when he came out with possibly the best role in the phenomenal movie I Heart Huckabees did I finally say to myself, "this guy may be able to do the job after all." Wahlberg is wonderful as Bob Lee Swagger on his journey to find out who is behind the conspiracy that led to his being framed in a Presidential assassination plot. The role may not be very demanding as far as range goes, but that is OK, because he does all he is asked and is believable as the ex-army sniper. All the weaponry jargon that spews from his mouth may sound like gibberish, but he sells it that he knows what he's talking about.

The supporting cast help prop up the film as well, allowing for some nice sequences. Michael Peña is great as the FBI agent who sees that something isn't right and becomes willing to help uncover what truly happened the night of the shooting. Ned Beatty has a nice turn as a corrupt Senator, and although I kept waiting for him to mumble "yes sir, Mr. Luthor," he did a nice job. Also, mention must be made for the fantastic Elias Koteas. When he is given a role that he can really run with he takes it over and is electric. He plays the villain perfectly and between the slimeball moves and the hilarious scene at the end, (I love that he takes his belt off in the background while on the ground trying to make a tourniquet—most actors would probably just squirm there after what happens, but even when not the focal point he tries to bring the role out), you got to love the guy.

Besides the competent acting and some nice camera-work, (when Wahlberg enters what he knows is a trap, the camera composes each view of him in a way to show a vast space behind, making you think that someone will be turning up to take him out; the framing makes the suspense rise even higher), there are some problems. Sure the story is a convenient one, smart enough to get where it wants to go, taking the usual liberties action- flicks of this kind take, but it is effective and straight-forward. I don't mind this shortcoming because it is better than trying to be more than you are, ruining any credibility you might have had. What I do mind is bad acting. Upon viewing the trailer I thought I would be pulling my hair out listening to Kate Mara's fake hick accent, however, she wasn't that bad. The atrocity actually came from Danny Glover. Whether it was his decision or the director's, I don't know, but his mouthpiece-causing lisp was terrible. At first I was wondering if he got that old he was wearing dentures and they were falling out, but when looking closer you can see a clear mouthpiece on his bottom row of teeth causing a bad speech pattern. I cringed each time he opened his mouth.

At the end of the day though, Fuqua delivers the action and his actors do the job at pulling it all off. Shooter is by no means a masterpiece, but who actually goes to these types of movies expecting one? If you have two hours to spare and want to be entertained with a minimal amount of brainwork to pull you through, I can think of many worse things to do instead of checking out Wahlberg's one-man fight against the tyranny of influential people in high places.

Although not accurate all the way, this film is one of the more realistic action thrillers I've seen. It's one of the few films where the main character actually spends a lot of time taking care of just two gun shot wounds (without vital organs being hit), one of the few films that puts governmental corruption in a more or less correct perspective, one of the few films where the lone hero needs a sidekick to help him with the planning, etc. On top of that, the film is entertaining from beginning to end and character motives are believable.

But then again.... this film is not for everyone. Left wing supporters are likely to be offended by its pro-gun message. American right wing supporters are likely to be offended by the strong anti-US government viewpoints clearly expressed in this film. Pro-constitution anti-federal government paleoconservatives and right wingers outside of the US without an in depth knowledge of sniper rifles are probably the only ones to enjoy this film to the fullest. And boy oh boy, how little are they in number... which probably explains why this film did not become the blockbuster hit it could have been.

This film is based on a novel by Stephen Hunter caller "Point of Impact". It charts the betrayal of a marine sniper and his efforts to clear his name. Originally set around the time of the Vietnam War, the film brings events up to date and into the 21st Century. There's plenty of action and explosions, and even a damsel in distress, so it covers most of the bases. I'll give you my thoughts after a brief summary.

Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger is on a mission in Africa when is spotter, and best friend, Donnie Fenn is killed. Left to die by his superiors, he eventually gets out and immediately resigns his commission. Three years later he's living alone in the mountains with his dog when a Colonel Isaac Johnson comes to him with a proposal. There has been a threat on the President and they believe only a highly trained sniper could carry it out. They want Swagger to scout out possible locations and report back to them. They play on his patriotism and eventually he agrees. On the day the threat is due to become real; they insist he attends in order to advise them. Little does Swagger know, he is about to be set up. Injured, he escapes and, with the help of a couple of friends, he plots his revenge.

A very well made film with some nice action scenes, stunt work and CGI. A decent plot with plenty of twists and turns, not all of them too predictable, thankfully. Performance wise, I thought Mark Wahlberg did a decent job as Bob Lee Swagger, as did Michael Peña as FBI agent Nick Memphis. Of the bad guys, the pick of the bunch were, Danny Glover as Colonel Isaac Johnson and Ned Beatty as Senator Charles F. Meachum. Oh, and I should also mention the damsel in distress, Kate Mara as Sarah Fenn.

As revenge thrillers go, this is pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. There are no stand-out performances, outstanding dialogue or even radical plot-twists. One thing that did strike me was the total lack of humour, not even one wise-crack from a bad guy… quite disappointing. But having said all that, it does do what it says on the tin and I did find it quite entertaining. It's never going to win any prizes, but still… Recommended.

My Score: 6.7/10

"Yesterday was about honor. Today is about justice." The movie tagline accurately justifies what the film Shooter is about. Mark Wahlberg stars as the marksman or elite marine scout sniper who was betrayed on a "peace-keeping" mission. Later after surviving the betrayal he was called upon by his country again, this time to stop a presidential assassination. For honor he accepted the mission but history repeated. Framed and on the run as presidential assassin, this time he want justice.

Shooter the movie is based on the novel, Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter. Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) is the main character for the story. His expertise and dedication to the craft of shooting became his poison. He is the best and the best is often sort after but not always look after. There are treacherous people around us with evil agendas. Things are not always what it seem. It is just when you thought you had everything figured out that you start falling, a little wisdom spoken by the film.

Fortunately for Bob Lee Swagger, an honorable man with a distinctive ability earned him allies in the form of rookie federal agent, Nick Memphis (Michael Pena) and the widow of his former scout sniper partner, Sarah Fenn (Kate Mara). Through their help he seeks to restore his honor, balance the beam of justice and uncover the bigger conspiracy that surrounds him.

Honestly this film really began very well. Bob Lee Swagger displayed his mettle of an elite sniper. The gun fighting action raised the adrenaline and expectation of the film. The film director is Antoine Fuqua of Training Day (2001) after all. There was conspiracy, car chases and hard-hitting actions. What is most impressive is Bob Lee Swagger's ability of survival and unsurpassed marksmanship. The very system that trained him to survive now wants him dead. How much more exciting can it get?

Perhaps there were too many targets to aim for with just a single sniper. No doubt Mark Wahlberg played his role very well as the expressionless, cool and intimidating marine sniper but the film in general was missing a lot of targets and thus lost much intensity and grip. As much as the degree of expertise Bob Lee Swagger demonstrated, there was little to engage the audience into the inner world of his, and what this main character of the movie is really about. That focus or the lack of it was not present.

The greater scale of the story of having a conspiracy seems to have taken an ill effect. It was not sure what was to figure. Was it the shooter or the conspiracy?

In the end Bob Lee Swagger became the invincible, much like Rambo, but less charm, only the brawns and immense shooting ability to kill. That in his own hands became his justice.

Which guy doesn't like guns and which gal doesn't like a hotshot? Impressive shooting but the target might not go down. Not by a long shot.