| Product: |
Shooter (HD DVD) |
| Date: |
02.12.07 (94 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Honest slick action fun!
Disadvantages: Another 30 minutes please!
Sufficient time has now passed since 911 for Hollywood to start showing their irritation over the war in Iraq and Americans dodgy foreign policy with some serious films tackling the oil in the Middle East issue, Syriana and the later series of 24 really getting into the link between oil, terror and the C.I.A, and how America has to boss and then bend to the middle East to continue their greedy oil consumption. With 1.9 cars to every 1.7 humans that love of the automobile hasn't diminished. When reasonably dumb but enjoyable action movies like 'Shooter' start making that point you know the standing U.S President must be on his way out.
Shooter, directed by the excellent Anton Fuqua, Americas hottest young black talent behind the lens, is a return to that 80s style action 'shoot em up', dumping as much blue screen as possible for real life explosions and good honest over the top gun fights-and of course the compulsory helicopter explosion.
This is kind a like Rambo in reverse, backing into the Bourne franchise, the equally excellent Mark Wahlberg playing a macho version of Matt Damon's exhilarating and engaging character, an uglier and dumber version of if you like, but with the same physical and calculated intensity.
Although the film is over patriotic at points-Fuqua insisting the American flag flutters in one too many scenes and wide shots for my liking-its still up there if you just want to rent an old fashioned, twist free, man alone 'tear up', the renter not having to groan to loudly as the ubiquitous action movie cliché after cliché are ticked off, but treated with some thought.
Here's the first five!
Cliché #1: Exploding helicopter
Cliché #2: Hero has a shoulder wound but can't go to the hospital
Cliché #3: Lonely patriot that no longer trust society
Cliché #4: All the cops are bungling and crash into each other in their squad cars at first chance.
Cliché #5: Trained bad guys can't shoot straight and walk into gunfire
-T.H.E - P.L.O.T -
After US army sniper Bobby Lee Swagger (Mark Walberg) is left behind by his superiors in a bungled covert and illegal operation in Ethiopia, his fellow shooter killed by his side, we flash forward 36 months with the bitter ex gunner living out in the wilds of Montana and pensioned off looking for the quiet life. With his faithful dog his new partner and his impressive weaponry rack regularly polished and loaded, he keeps his eye in by hunting game and exploring conspiracy theories online. But when the ominous black sedan pulls up outside of his wooded retreat with a gang of government military goons, tooled up in ill-fitting black suits and wretched one-liners, it looks like the country that let Swagger down so badly needs him once again.
The head honcho is Colonel Isaac Johansen (Danny Glover) ,the chain smoking, gravely voiced haggard military man who wants Swagger to help them protect the president for a rapidly approaching feared assignation attempt, likely to be via a sniper, so Swagger required to figure out what sort of shot will be taken and from what location.
Saying no at first his patriotic conscious gets the better of him, Swagger soon practicing the bold mile long shot he thinks the shooter would need to execute to take out the president. After returning Isaacs call he heads into the big city to case the four locales the president is set to visit in the next week. Swagger decides a clock tower in Philadelphia is the most likely location and informs his handlers.
But when you deal with shadowy members of the intelligence services in the movies you expect things to be not to as they seem, swagger soon on the run after being put in the frame when the assignation attempt goes wrong. With a black bishop drawn into the growing chess game conspiracy, Swaggers mug shot and convenient video tape quickly all over the TV, it doesn't look good for the ex marine, not helped by the cliché slug in the shoulder slowing our hero down even more.
It seems his only hope of help (movie narrative wise) is his dead partners pretty wife Sara (Kate Mara), Bobby recalling she wanted to train as a nurse. After some Rambo style needlework he's up and about and the revenge begins as Swagger prepares to tidy up some loose ends of his own.
The only other help on offer to clear his name is Nick Memphis (Michael Pena), a rookie Philadelphia FBI agent, who for some reason doesn't think Swagger pulled the trigger, and so sets about investigating the case. Coupled with a growing love interest for Sara, the three are pulled into something that only has a one-way ticket.
-CAST-
Mark Wahlberg ... Bob Lee Swagger
Michael Peña ... Nick Memphis
Danny Glover ... Colonel Isaac Johnson
Kate Mara ... Sarah Fenn
Elias Koteas ... Jack Payne
Rhona Mitra ... Alourdes Galindo
Jonathan Walker ... Louis Dobbler
Justin Louis ... Howard Purnell
Tate Donovan ... Russ Turner
Rade Serbedzija ... Michael Sandor
Alan C. Peterson ... Officer Stanley Timmons
Ned Beatty ... Senator Charles F. Meachum
Lane Garrison ... Donnie Fenn
Zak Santiago ... Senior Agent
Michael-Ann Connor ... Junior Agent
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/
-Trivi a-
In the scene after Sarah Fenn first talks to Nick Memphis, Bob Lee Swagger is see standing outside with an Eagle's hat and jacket on. Mark Wahlberg plays for the Eagles in the movie Invincible (2006).
-DIRECTOR-
Fuqua made his way into films through pop videos, before getting noticed with the acclaimed independent, 'Lightning in a Bottle', which I haven't seen. But for me he came of age with Tears of the Sun and Training.
Tears of the Sun is a really under rated war movie and, like Shooter, action packed and tension filled, but with subtle political comment on the state of Americas salubrious foreign policy today subtly missed in. If you get a job in the arts you should always take the opportunity to make your point on behalf of others who can't. Bruce Willis in the above is the macho and cold killing machine Mark Walhberg is here, both actors extremely engaging and enigmatic in that role from the opening scenes.
Fuqua's style is pacey and action packed, only slowing down to flesh out the characters when required, but quickly taking a machete to any intellectual argument when the movie gets too serious. I particularly liked his point that pretty much any unbalanced individual can arm himself to the teeth in America by showing Swagger buying his arsenal from Wal-Mart, including the hunter's rifle with sight. He also creates a retro feel to his movies, having a distinct feel for the type of action movies guys like, recent digital effects turning this genre into cartoon and so bland. Farqua is a talent to watch guys!
-CONCLUSIONS-
This is one of those action flicks you see in Blockbusters, look at the cover, and move on. Well I'm here to tell the dooyoo boys and dads to pick this one up next time as its great fun, a classic one man wronged by his country to clear his name thriller that will have you gripped early on by its production values and central character. I don think you can go far wrong with guys like Mark Walberg.
I've been lucky this month because I also got the same buzz from the slightly preposterous but well made 'DeJaVu' with the superb Denzel Washington, an equally engaging flawed action hero. I'm wondering to myself that this could well be the return of form for a genre that has had to keep its head down of late.
-Ratings-
IMDB.COM scores it 7.10 from 30,567 votes
-SPECIAL FEATURES-
'Survival of the fittest'
This is a quite enjoyable making off, going behind the scenes with Walhberg at the marines simper academy, where Mark performed rather well according to his young and handsome clean cut instructor. When the actor did a one week course to become proficient at long range shooting to add authenticity to the movie he was almost top of the class, managing to cluster three kill shots from 800 yards. So if an actor goes nuts and plans to kills the president for real then Bush better watch out. Apparently a high caliber snipers bullet takes three seconds to cover a mile and can arc up to 40ft, due to factors like humidity, wind, sound and the even the curvature of the Earth, modern sites and computers vectoring all that in. What a cool job!
'Independence Hall'
Anyone who has been to Americas East Coast will know how important Philadelphia is to the countries independence and creation. It is here the Constitution and many other extremely important documents were signed, the city the home of the fledgling 19th century parliament. 'Philli' is also the cradle of the famous Liberty Bell, now cracked and silent, this Discovery style documentary telling you all about the city and the museums artifacts.
'Deleted Scenes'
It's noticeable that the scenes that have been sliced out are the ones that would have turned this into more centered buddy movie, showing a growing friendship and respect between the rookie agent and the trained killer. By not going that way the movie retains its integrity, the killer stays cold and aloof, and we don't get to know or have time to admire our assistant hero.
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RuN TiMe 96 minutes
Suited to young adults and upwards.
Amazon: £8.89p
Best high street rental deal is the 3 for £7 deal at Blockbusters, all for one week...
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Summary: Retro 80s action!
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