Directed by:
Antoine FuquaScreenplay:
Jonathan LemkinCinematography:
Peter Menzies Jr.Composer:
Mark MancinaCast:
Mark Wahlberg, Kate Mara, Michael Peña, Danny Glover, Mike Dopud, Lane Garrison, Elias Koteas, Rhona Mitra, Ned Beatty, Louis Ferreira, Tate Donovan (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
An expert sniper is coaxed out of seclusion by colleagues who need his help to stop an assassination attempt against the president. (Netflix)
Videos (2)
Reviews (9)
A simple and straightforward action film, where the screenwriter probably got fired in the middle of the shooting and then it was just improvisation. Fortunately, Antoine Fuqua can still do it, and Mark Wahlberg is good with these badasses, so in the end, it's an inoffensive average.
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In the currently fashionable trend of building action on fast editing and lots of CGI effects, Shooter is a very likable old-school alternative, which does not hide its ambitions to be a stylish B-movie. In addition, its plot and narrative style, built on basic clichés, blatantly refers to the genre mannerisms of action films of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Fuqua understands that well-mastered craftsmanship can do a lot. Therefore, despite its 2-hour runtime Shooter is a very enjoyable time spent in a whirlwind of compelling action that centers around the divine Mark Wahlberg, who never lets his pissed-off expression drop and makes you think of the greatest action fighters who dominated similarly-themed films 15 years ago. And if he had sharper catchphrases, I’d give it five stars! For the genre-devoted viewer, this is the ultimate comfort food, whereas for the rest of the world, based on other reviews, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
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Bob Lee Swagger may not be the new Jason Bourne, but his great luck is that he doesn't want to be. He wants to be an old-school, uncompromising hero, and he excels at it. Mark Wahlberg is excellent as a cold-blooded machine, and his sniper performances, whether in a war setting or in the quiet snow, fascinated me with every shot with their deliberate harshness. And when he makes fun of patriotic speeches, it's settled. I'm not saying that Shooter is flawless, because the villains keep repeating lines like "Swagger is still alive," even though they don't make much of an effort to catch him, but such stumbling adds a little charm to a good action film.
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Fugua is definitely not a loser (see KevSpa), when he takes on a solid script he can turn it into a very watchable affair like Training Day, its unfortunate then that he has to deal with people like Jonathan Lemkin, a strange character in the movie business in general. On the one hand, he can create such a marvel as Hackford's Devil's Advocate and then embarrass himself with a monstrosity like Red Planet, where you're not sure if the screenwriter is being serious. And Shooter will give you the same feeling with a lot of the dialogue and a few unintentionally absurd situations. Then neither the great Wahlberg, who was perhaps born for badass roles, nor Fugua, who proves his craftsmanship in action scenes, can save the day. At least the snipers' final showdown in the snowy mountains is definitely worth a look. If you don't mind tired clichés and dull dialogue, add as many stars to the overall rating as you like. PS: But Antoine, the nearly 20-second slow motion shot of Mark's macho walk really isn't cool. :)
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It is a well-known fact that fans of the action genre do not need a film to have a good script, because an action film is based on other values, and Shooter is a typical example of this. The script is ridiculous and is a condensed collection of the most clichéd elements, complemented by typically pathetic-patriotic speeches about democracy, love for the homeland, justice, etc. It is actually a typical Seagal movie, though (even though routine) better handled in terms of direction and above all, significantly better acted. Mark Wahlberg fits well into these types of roles. For genre fans, it is a decent film with several uncompromising fights, an invincible hero, and wicked villains. Others will probably suffer during the dull dialogues, obvious inconsistencies, and predictable fights. Overall impression: 25%.
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