Customer Reviews

Shooter [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(87)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

After a mission gone awry, Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) now leads a solitary existence in the mountains of Wyoming. When he is called back to assist a covert military group (headed by Danny Glover) in determining how to pull off an assasination attempt, he soon discovers that he's been set up in an elaborate ruse to take the fall. Hell hath no fury like a Marine scorned, and Swagger becomes a PO'ed two-man army (once he hooks up with disgraced FBI agent Michael Pena), determined to bring the real culprits to justice. Directd by Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day"), this high octane conspiracy thriller just doesn't let up and will keep the viewer guessing. Though it's pretty violent - it's well worth watching!

My only drawback was having to hear Glover's dialogue - was it me or did he have some really ill-fitting dentures that provided him with the most annoying lisp. I was just waiting for them to fall out. Overall though, Glover has not given a more chilling performance since "Witness," and Wahlberg who can also be pretty menacing, proves to be a great action hero.

The DVD extras include a great behind the scenes segment featuring the technical advisor, himself a former military sniper, who provides insight into that occupation as well as the weapons used in the movie.

Sometimes I wonder why I wait so long before watching a certain movie, especially one that has received praise from essentially everyone I know that has ever seen it. Such is the case with the military-themed/conspiracy thriller "Shooter" starring Mark Wahlberg ("Four Brothers") and Danny Glover (`Lethal Weapon' series). I was told from so many sources that "Shooter" is a definite must-see of a movie, yet for some unknown reason I never did get around to watching it, until recently that is. Of course, I had plenty of opportunities to watch the movie, due to the fact that I had purchased it several months back even though I hadn't seen it yet (a concept which may seem strange to some of you). Who knows why it took me so long, maybe I need to get my head examined (one of my friends sure thought so when I told him I had yet to see this movie). Whatever the case may be, when all was said and done now that I've finally taken an opportunity to sit down and watch the movie, I enjoyed every single minute of it and wished I would have gotten around to seeing it much sooner.

"Shooter" is the story of former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), who after being betrayed by his superiors, has left the service and is leading a quiet, peaceful existence in a remote cabin somewhere in the mountains. However, as much as Bob Lee has tried to remove himself from the outside world, there are those that still possess the means to find him; led by a high ranking Colonel (Danny Glover), a mysterious group within the U.S. government believes that Bob Lee may be the one person on the planet to help them in preventing an impending assassination attempt on the current President of the United States. Feeling the pressure to once again serve his country, Bob Lee reluctantly agrees to lend his expertise; however, all is not as it seems. On the day of the attempt, Bob Lee is betrayed and wrongfully identified as the shooter by the very people he agreed to help. Now, he's on the run from virtually every government agency in the United States, and as if that weren't enough to contend with, the group that hired him is tracking him across the country to silence the one loose end that could expose their far-reaching conspiracy to the entire nation.

I've got to say that I am becoming more and more impressed by Mark Wahlberg's acting ability with each movie he makes. Not only are his skills as an actor becoming more refined, but his movies just seem to get better and better as well. Mark's performance as Bob Lee Swagger was perfect, he was full of confidence without being arrogant, appeared to be an honorable man who seemed to go out of his way to save lives at all cost, and despite being betrayed by his superiors, he still maintained a strong sense of pride for his country and the military; which was a welcome change in character traits from most of the leading roles featured in today's movies dealing with any facet of the military and/or its soldiers. Michael Pena ("World Trade Center") was solid in his portrayal of an FBI agent that becomes Bob's reluctant partner, and one of the few members of any government agency that believes that he may just be innocent after all, despite all the evidence to the contrary. Kate Mara ("We Are Marshall") plays a widow of one of Bob's military buddies from his time in the service, and becomes an ally and eventual love interest for him, serving as a means for allowing Bob to open up once more to another human being and to begin to heal from the wounds that his life and career have left upon him. Kate wasn't given as much to do in this film dramatically as she had been in "We Are Marshall", but what time she did have on the screen she made the best of, and managed to show that her character was emotionally vulnerable, yet strong enough to stand up for herself if the moment arose; instead of just being the typical damsel in distress that would generally be the female role in a film such as this. Granted she eventually becomes `in distress' so to speak, but not until she's proven to the audience that she has the means with which to protect herself under normal circumstances. Rounding out the cast are veteran actors Danny Glover and Ned Beatty as members of a secret group within the U.S. government that sets Bob up for the assassination attempt. Danny Glover has played villains a few times throughout his rather lengthy career, and each time he brings a depth and realism to each character, never allowing them to be even remotely the same in their presentation. For his character in "Shooter", Danny added a slight lisp to his character's vocal performance, and played him as someone who had at one time possibly been an honorable soldier, but life and/or experiences have jaded him so much that he is essentially nothing more than a soldier for hire to the highest bidder. Portraying the man currently financing Glover's most recent mission is Ned Beatty, in a surprisingly sinister turn as a corrupt U.S. Senator who feels he has the nation's best interests at heart, no matter how misguided he may be, and is willing to do anything to see his goals accomplished.

Critically acclaimed director Antoine Fuqua ("Training Day") delivers movie audiences yet another solid film following up his previous successes, the historical epic "King Arthur", the military thriller "Tears of the Sun", and the film that garnered Denzel Washington his first Best Actor Oscar nod "Training Day". Fuqua deftly captures the frantic action and fast-paced action sequences with the ease of an accomplished action director, utilizing quick edits that have become synonymous with today's action films; yet Fuqua thankfully avoids overusing the hand-held camera approach that has permeated most of the popular action movies of recent years (a technique that was made popular by director Paul Greengrass' massive box office success with "The Bourne Supremacy"). For a director whose early successes were found in music videos, Antoine Fuqua has definitely come a long way in the last ten years since he made his theatrical directorial debut with "The Replacement Killers", and has become yet another one of those directors whose films I greatly anticipate whenever I hear of an impending release, though I don't always rush out to see them as was the case here.

The plot for "Shooter" was surprisingly more involved and complex than one would expect from most Hollywood action films. The screenplay, written by Jonathan Lemkin ("Lethal Weapon 4") and based on a novel by Stephen Hunter titled "Point of Impact", featured plenty of little twists and turns along the way to keep the suspense ratcheted up, and the audience wondering just what exactly was going to happen next. I really appreciated how the script spent time focusing on each of the main characters to flesh them out a bit more than your standard one-dimensional action film characters generally would be; it was this type of work in a screenplay that propelled "Shooter" far above the average action movie that most action buffs love to see. Truthfully, "Shooter" could almost be considered a "thinking man's action film" so to speak. Who knows, with the success of "Shooter" maybe Hollywood will take notice and begin making more action films with this kind of attention to detail, featuring smart, well-written dialogue, surprising twists (that make sense and don't appear convoluted and convenient), and plenty of suspense and thrills without resorting to excessive violence as their only means of conveyance. If we begin to see this kind of action movie taking place more and more, maybe the action genre could gain a little bit more respect from the critics; instead, of being looked upon as films for the mindless masses that can't stand to see any kind of drama being played out, only guns blazing, fists flying, and mayhem galore, maybe there's hope in the eyes of critics for the action junkies yet.

Every single aspect of "Shooter" was perfectly mixed together, from the acting to the directing to the story; nothing was out of place or off-beat in the least; delivering audiences an incredibly solid action film that boasted plenty of pulse-pounding action, along with a hefty dose of drama, intrigue, and depth to make for a thoroughly entertaining movie experience.

"Shooter" is rated R for violence and language.

Great movie. Good action and great plot. Not quite used to seeing Danny Glover play the bad guy, but he did and excellent job. Even the women I know that have seen this say it is a great thriller and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Dale Morse
Fort Worth, Texas

A veteran double crossed by the government during his early military career is used once again in this fast paced action flick. The unsuspecting soldier is talked into helping 'prevent' the assassination of a president, but things are not what they seem and he's roped into a deep conspiracy. Now he must run for his life while he tries to find a way to reveal the truth. I could slightly guess the formula and where it was leading on this one, but still enjoyed the action packed story.

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

This movie reminded me of The Bourne films, in a way. Mark Wahlberg played a nearly indestructable ex-military man, who was the most amazing shot in the history of mankind. Very entertaining film, great action sequences, and like my headline suggests, non-stop 2-hour thrills. Highly recommended.

It's riddled with masculine clichés and by-the-numbers testosterone-driven plot elements, but "Shooter" is no reason for Mark Wahlberg to turn the gun on himself. On the heels of his Oscar-nominated work in "The Departed," he leads the way in this action-packed roller-coaster romp of mayhem, suspense and, of course, machine guns.

Wahlberg is Bob Lee Swagger, a retired military vet secluded in his mountain cabin with nothing but his dog, beer and cans of Dinty Moore beef stew. A misanthrope of sorts three years after the loss of his pal Donnie in combat, his guard is up with pistols drawn when Colonel Issac Johnson, played by the always excellent Danny Glover, and his underlings show up with an urgent request - help foil an incumbent assassination on the president.

He eventually gives in after his patriotism is questioned and his ego ever-so-stroked, and becomes involved. Before it's too late, he realizes he's being framed. Just barely dodging an onslaught of bullets, he escapes with his life. Gentlemen, start your engines.

Swagger finds himself the most wanted man in the nation in a matter of minutes, and barely dodges the police. Fortunately, he finds help in the form of disgraced FBI agent Nick Memphis, played Michael Peña, and Sara Fenn, Donnie's widow, played by Kate Mara, who seems to lose her Kentucky accent as the plot progresses. In the latter he finds a makeshift nurse and someone in whom to confide, while in the former he finds an unlikely supporter who refuses to simply accept that Swagger is the culprit, especially when he finds telltale evidence to suggest the contrary.

Glover disappears for a while, but he remains cool, calm and in character throughout. Also, Levon Helm of famed 70's rock group The Band injects the film with a shot of welcome levity in his scene as a folksy rifle expert, and it's great to see Ned Beatty still doing what he does best, even if his character of the devious Senator Meachum is an amalgamation of many he has played before. He even manages to pump a few genuine laughs into the script with his sardonic wit.

Some important pieces of the movie's puzzle don't fit. It wouldn't be any easier to tell that Swagger is being set up by Johnson and his cohorts if it was spelled out in fireworks, so it's hard to believe Swagger would accept the assignment, patriotism or not. Also, one character's sudden transformation toward the end of the film (let's be vague lest we give away crucial plot elements) goes way beyond the threshold of unrealistic.

Nevertheless, it's all in fun, and that's exactly what "Shooter" is meant to be. The character of Swagger is the consummate unachievable archetype of what men aspire to be, and because of that "Shooter" is a vector of sorts - like all those good old John Wayne westerns - for harmless idealization. If you can accept that, see the film, and if your girlfriend can accept it too, bring her along.

The film opens with two US troops being abandoned by their commander. They are not in authorized space. When asked why, the commander said something to the effect that the men were well trained and they would find their way home.

We know one of them did, because we see him years later. Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) has nearly gone off the grid. It's just him and his dog living in a remote cabin.

When he's approached by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) to help foil a plot to kill the US President by determining how the shooter is going to do it, he reluctantly accepts the job.

When the fated day arrives, it's actually the Archbishop of Ethiopia who is shot and the crime's blamed on Swagger. Swagger goes on the run, trying to find out precisely what happened.

"Shooter" is a smart paced and intelligent conspiracy thriller taken from the pen of Stephen Hunter. Excellent acting on the part of the whole crew. This multi-faceted film is well worth owning. You will want to see it again.

Rebecca Kyle, December 2008

It depends on what you like. If you like movies like Sniper and Rambo, then this movie is for you. I myself do like Movies like this. I has some decent graphics and can be a bit graphic. Not that I'm complaining, I love a good graphic movie. Its just not as graphic as Saving Private Ryan or the newest Rambo movie. But there is enough to have you say " That was just enough." As for the acting, well its Mark Wahlberg. He is surprisingly better in it than some could suspect he is able. The script on the other hand leaves a bit to be desired if your into a movie for that, its a good thing I'm not. If you are looking for a basic movie with a sniper, a love interest, and bad guys you can spot a mile away with out a scope, then this movie is for you. Its a fun way to kill 90 minutes.

This is an extremely boring action movie. There are a few good action scenes but nothing you haven't seen before. Mark Wahlberg plays a sniper who shoots and kills people. Not exactly what you would call a sympathetic character. Wahlberg is set up by the Government to take the fall in an assassination. The problem is there is no character development and you simply don't care if Wahlberg's character lives or dies. The movie is devoid of drama and simply relies on the power of the action scenes to keep your attention; unfortunately, my attention was lost about a half hour into the movie. I give it another half hour then I gave it the gong.

This is a fun action flick with lots of cool toys.

Mark Wahlberg does a good job as the "retired" Army sniper but his character gets way too many breaks, for example; a fat, corrupt and drunk NYPD officer shoots him twice with a pistol but an army of highly trained mercenaries with fully automatic weapons miss every time.

If you enjoy picking apart movies, there is a ton of material in this DVD to throw stones at. They use a wide variety of weapons but the capabilities are overblown. The goofs generally do not detract from the movie. An easy one is near the end when Kate Mara (Sarah) empties a 15rd Beretta after firing only 4 shots.

All of the current "talking points" of the left are present and accounted for: Abu Ghraib, No WMD's in Iraq, war for oil, evil "red state" politicians and government is corrupt and powerless against corporate interests. Almost felt like somebody was sitting in the director's chair with a checklist to make sure they covered everything. On the positive side, there were no "gun control" points made but that would have been hard to do since the hero was a heavily armed survivalist.

Overall it's a fun movie. I had to hit the stop button and go over several scenes in slow motion to figure out what they were doing or what they were carrying. I like movies that make me do that. Good Saturday night popcorn flick.