
SHOOTER
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Shooter
Directed by: Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Rhona Mitra, Kate Mara, Danny Glover, Michael Pena, Ned Beatty
Certificate: 15
Running time: 126mins
Mark Wahlberg has come a long way since the days of Marky Mark. From just being out of grasp of an Oscar for ‘The Departed’, he’s now having a crack at his previous co-star's game (Matt Damon) by going all Bourne-like on us with ‘Shooter.’
Wahlberg plays eagle-eyed marksman, Bobby Lee ("I drew the short straw on names") Swagger - a sniper who retires after a top secret mission goes down the crapper and his superiors leave him and his bullet riddled partner in enemy territory.
Pulled back in by shady government men (including top bad guy, Danny Glover), Swagger reluctantly accepts the job to foil a plot to assassinate a major political figure. Giving all the necessary details into how the hit could go down, the entire operation is spun on its head when the mission turns out to be a set up and Swagger is targeted as the fall guy. On the run and out for revenge, Swagger intends to set his sights on those that have framed him, and pull the trigger.
For those missing 80s action flicks, fear not. ‘Shooter’ is jam-packed with classic clichés of yester year: we’ve got a hero that has ditched his violent ways to live a life of peace in a mountain cabin, ala ‘Commando’ only to be pulled back in to duty. He gets stitched up by the love interest who is also the widow of the partner he lost in the first place, who naturally trusts him immediately, even though they’ve never met. Hmmm. The film even delivers some killer one liners - when discussing his motive for revenge, cement faced Swagger, gruffly replies with “you don’t understand – they killed my dog”. It’s moments like this that put the icing on the action cake, and bad news for baddies as Wahlberg comfortably fits into the action role once again.
But a film that’s reminiscent of the old ‘Bang Bang Ya Dead’ actioners of the 80s doesn’t really have much of a place in a time of calculated covert operators like Bond and Bourne, making Mark Wahlberg’s ‘Shooter’ slightly off target, but only by inches.
Special Features
Extras may be a little thin, but the behind the scenes documentary is worth a look. Focusing on the preparation for Mark Wahlberg taking the role of Swagger, this chunky bit of info looks at how a sniper works, and showing that it isn’t just point and shoot. These bad ass marksmen have to take in every detail – including the curvature of the earth. Mental! Short, sweet and proof that Marky Mark and a rifle is now a deadly combination – fact!
'Shooter' is out on DVD from today (13/8/07)
Review ID: 10000000004407012

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