Patrick Sun

Shooter - quick review

Director Antoine Fuqua returns with an action flick that's heavy on action, less so on characterization. Mark Wahlberg's Bobby Lee Swagger is a patriotic sniper left expendable when a military op goes bad, but he finds a way to survive and then retires from the military. Danny Glover, very tough to understand due to his mumbling or choice of enunciation for his character, does some low-key scenery chewing as his character recruits Swagger to set up a sniper scenario on the president, and it's from that premise that fuels the rest of the film.

Overall, the film feels a little derivative, with a bit of Rambo tossed in for good measure, as well as other chase-scene-driven films. Wahlberg carries most of the film, and buoyed by the supporting cast of Michael Pena (last seen in "World Trade Center"), Kate Mara ("We Are Marshall") and Rhona Mitra, all of whom are good in their roles. The bad guys are easily to root against, and that's where the film treads most for its formulaic foundations. The ending does let down the film as it builds to confrontations that don't quite hit the right beats.

The film works as an action flick, provides a few laughs driven from Swagger's struggle to clear his name and a visit to a gun expert, but misses the mark in the final act.

I give it 2.75 stars or a grade of B-.

"I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar!"
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Brent Bridgeman

Re: Shooter - quick review

Having read the book by Stephen Hunter some time ago, I was expecting to be disappointed, especially since they changed Swagger from being a Vietnam-era sniper to Ethiopia (?). However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed the movie quite a bit. Wahlberg continues to impress, and I enjoyed seeing "Yayo" from "Get Shorty" in a more substantial role (yeah, I know he's been in other stuff, but that's the first role I remember seeing him in... "I'm gonna take you out, Yahoo..."). I was wondering if Danny Glover had some dental work done (his mouth looked different) and that was why he was so hard to understand. Glad someone else had the same impression and it wasn't just me.

The actor I was most pleased to see was Levon Helm, especially since I didn't know he had a role. I just love his drawling voice, whether speaking or singing with The Band, and he had a nice little cameo with some great lines. I was a bit shocked to see how much he has aged, though. He looked a little rough in "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada", but I attributed that to his character being an elderly blind man living out in the desert alone. I see from IMDB that he is 67, but he looked a few years older than that.

I think I'd give it 3.0 out of 5.0 stars. Good popcorn munching fun.

Dave_Brown

Re: Shooter - quick review

Does this movie differ all that much from "Most Wanted" with Kenon Wayans?

ChristopherG

Re: Shooter - quick review

Holy shit!! Watching this now and Danny Glover is practically unintelligible... I am guessing dentures.

Colin Jacobson

Re: Shooter - quick review

:agree: I noticed that too. I didn't say anything in my review because I thought it sounded too catty even for me, but you're right - he lisps and slurps his way through the movie...

(Though saying he "slurps" through makes it sound like a whole different kind of flick... )

Colin Jacobson
http://www.DVDMG.com

Greg_C_T

Re: Shooter - quick review

I was pleasantly surprised with Shooter and couldn't really understand why such a low rating from Metacritic. Anyway, didn't read the book it was based on, but did read about Bob the Nailer's other exploits in Stephen Hunter's "Time to Hunt" (highly recommended). I thought the change in era from Vietnam to Ethiopia worked well and Wahlberg did an impressive job with the role. Completely believable, IMO.

Here's hoping they do a screen versions of Hunter's other Swagger novels.

ChristopherG

Re: Shooter - quick review

It was distracting to me every time he was onscreen.


Yeah, kinda of makes the title change meaning too, in that context.

Danny Glover's annoying gollum impressions aside, I really enjoyed the movie.