Marine scout sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) retired from the military when a covert operation in Ethopia went wrong. In a gun battle his best friend and spotter was killed and Swagger was left to extract himself without U.S military assistance when they abandoned him.Three years later he is pursuaded out of his self imposed exile by Colonel Issac Johnson (Danny Glover) to help foil a Presidential assassination attempt.There is an assassiantion attempt and Swagger is framed for a murder and the assassination by the very people who hired him. Injured Swagger, shot twice by a policeman staged to apprehend Swagger, he goes on the run and begins the fight ot clear his name.He enlists the help of his best friend's widow Sarah Fenn and FBI rookie Nick Memphis who believes in Swagger's innocence. Together they track down a conspiracy that leads to the centers of government power.Shooter hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the closing credits role. This is not an overly political film in fact the subtle political message, which Swagger states: "I don't much like this President. Didn't like the last one much either.", highlighting the loss in support U.S government is facing since 9/11 does seem to get lost in the action.
Hot off the heels of his Oscar nominated Best Supporting Actor role Mark Wahlberg has propelled himself back to leading man status which he cements here as the beefed up, anti-hero Swagger that will draw comparisions to the ill treated combat veteran Rambo twenty years ago.
This shoot-em up action drama is right up director Antoine Fuqua's street after being responsible for delivering both Training Day and Tears Of The Sun. And if there's one thing that Fuqua know it's what his male audiences like. This film is not a tale of subtle detective work to discover who framed the leading man it's a high octan shoot-em up drama with killing and explosions coming think and fast.
But what this film lacks in subtlety it gains in tension, action and intrigue. Shooter's finest moments are the action sequences which include a car chase throught he streets of Philly and the movie's climax at the top of a mountain.
The movie is loosley based on the Point of Impact novel by Stephen Hunter but the character of Swagger does differ enormously. In the novel he is Vietnam veteran but the film puts Swagger fighting in Africa.
The idea of one man versus the establishment is nothing new and the film will quite naturally draw comparisons with the very successful Bourne franchise. But Shooter sets out to be a hard action escapism movie and it achieves just that.
Although it does contain a mild political statement the movie is not here to deliver some profound statement.
Wahlberg is superbly cast as the very dangerous, pissed off Marine who is tired of being betrayed. There are also great turns from Michael Pena as the hapless Memphis who comes to Swagger's rescue believing in him until the end.
However the character of Sarah is vastly under used and under developed she serves only to be shocked and afraid and very little more. This is unfortunate as her growing relationship with Swagger could have been explored in more detail and she proved mid-film that she was also very handy with a gun and instead or merely being the damsel in distress she could have put up a fight.
Despite this Shooter is a fast paced, exciting, edge of your seat action movie that may just spawn a sequel.
Helen Earnshaw FemaleFirst