Movies /
Movie Reviews
Shooter
By Mitch Emerson
March 23, 2007 - 11:23
Title: Shooter
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Kate Mara,
Michael Pena, Rhona Mitra, Danny Glover
Directed By: Antoine Fuqua
Produced By: Erik Howsam, Mark Johnson,
Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Genre: Action/Adventure, Thriller and
Adaptation
Release Date: March 23rd, 2007
MPAA Rating: R
Distributors: Paramount Pictures
Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a
former Marine Corps sniper who leaves the military after a mission
goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger
is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a
nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down
the most powerful people in the country. -Yahoo! Movies
Shooter tries really hard to break out
of the standard double cross revenge flick. And while giving one hell
of an effort, the end result is the same, even with the mild, yet
slightly confusing twist to the story. Marky Mark (those jokes never
get old do they?) proves once again that he can scowl real well and
mumble half of his lines. What's different about Shooter is we get to
see him shoot numerous people in the head from varying distances.
Also, this movie tries to toss to much of a “message” in amongst
the action. I just wanted to see a straight up action flick, like
Commando! Sounds like I didn't like the movie doesn't it? Wrong, I
enjoyed this movie well enough and I know that my father is going to
love it. It has everything an action movie needs to be a success.
 |
The real stand out to me was Michael
Pena who plays FBI Agent Nick Memphis. He is first introduced as the
inept agent who lets Swagger get away. Up for a review in which he
will most likely lose his job, he decides to do whatever it takes to
get to the bottom of a situation that just doesn't seem to add up. He
ends up helping Swagger deal out his version of justice and provides
a lot of the humor. Which you know every action film has to have a
healthy dose of. Wahlberg is Wahlberg, he has a certain gruff appeal
and that's that. Danny Glover and Ned Beatty try to be the bad guys
but I will forever see them as Murtaugh from Lethal Weapon and Otis
from Superman respectively. Kate Mara plays Sarah Fenn the ex-wife of
Swaggers Army buddy that gets killed in the beginning of the movie.
Who also just happens to be the only person he can turn to for help
after getting shot. The one real surprise is that usually in a film
like this Fenn would be a love interest for Swagger, and while this
doesn't happen you can tell that it actually did and was edited out,
quite badly I might add.
 |
I said earlier that I liked this movie
and I think I still do. I should probably try and back that statement
with some proof huh? Well, the effects were great, exploding
helicopters, numerous head shots, napalm bombs, self surgery and even
a dismemberment. Cast wise, Elias Koteas, who I remember as Casey
Jones in the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie is great as
a sadistic henchman of Danny Glover. One of the best scenes for me is
when Swagger and Memphis go see a shooting expert in the mountains of
Tennessee. The old man that they see is just absolutely hilarious and
almost worth the price of admission alone. And what man can resist
Kate Mara in a bra wielding a shotgun?
Even though my arguments seem to cancel
each other out I would still recommend this to action junkies; at
least for a matinée showing. I plan on renting it on DVD if
that's any indication.
Until we see Marky Mark and the Deadly
Funky Commando Bunch,
keep reading.
Last Updated: January 17, 2025 - 08:20