B, entertaining most of the way, but then sort of falls apart in the end with false multiple endings thus diluting a satisfying end.

It's a fun action flick. Dragged in some parts, but overall, quite good.

B+

A decent action-suspense film, but I thought it could've been better. The action sequences were great, especially the assault on the farmhouse. And Mark Wahlberg gave a good performance, though I thought he was far more badass in The Departed and Four Brothers. The pacing was too sluggish for my taste, especially during the second act, and the plot thought it was far smarter than it was, especially when it tried to be relevant to today's politics (Shooter is no Syriana). Overall, I 'enjoyed' it, but found it flawed. It's definitely not my favorite action movie ever. Bob Lee Swagger is no Jason Bourne or John McClane. C+.

Oh, and the exploding airplane from the trailer isn't even in the movie.

Considering the explosion stuck in the same spot and didn't keep shooting forward, I'm rather glad they left it out.

Anyways I really enjoyed it. Mark Wahlberg was a lot more stoic then in some of his recent films, but still plenty effective. Having already heard that the film was a schizophrenic mix of action movie and political thriller, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was effective enough on both levels. This isn't Man of the Year guys - it can work as both. I'm a bit surprised at how poorly the trailer conveys some of the action scenes - I can see how they couldnj't show off the great sniper moments, but the whole barnhouse scene was barely touched upon. Not that I minded too much, except it means there's not as much of a chance at a sequel. Don't get me wrong, it's not that intellectual, but at least it doesn't have the pretense to think it is.

Solid thriller. I could've done without the subtle jabs taken at our current political situation, but I can't really complain because they're correct and most of the films of this kind made back in the '70s took similar shots. I'm also glad the film wasn't forced to pussy out and make this into a PG-13 film. When the first head exploded I was happy. The only thing that would've made this perfect is female nudity. Then it would've fit in perfectly with those films. That minor criticism aside, it's a very good film.

A-

Mini-Review:

Yes, Shooter does seem like a conventional, standard action movie, and for the most part, it is. However, the thing director Antoine Fuqua manages to do right is play it well. Despite convention, the movie is consistently entertaining and it managed to keep me at the edge of my seat. Unlike many thrillers, this one plays precious few games with its audience (only one minor twist near the end delves into the usual "forget that little thing?" trick that plagues too many action-thrillers). Instead, it pretty much lays everything out for the viewers. The plot is straightforward: Mark Wahlberg plays a former Marine sniper hired by the government to tell them how he'd set up an attempt to take a shot at the President- set to speak in Philadelphia- from a mile away. The day comes, and as it turns out, the joke's on him, as he's set up for assassinating a Ethiopian leader. He then has to go on the run, and after getting an FBI agent and the widow of his deceased spotter on his side, he goes on a violent quest to uncover all the details of the conspiracy. As always, Wahlberg brings an unquestionable vibe of cool in every scene he appears in, maintaining the tough guy mentality that has earned him both audience popularity and some level of critical acclaim. There's no denial that Shooter isn't something viewers have never seen before, but it fills the bill by being an entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

Grade: B (#4 of 2007 so far)

It's a fun, standard action flick. Maybe too standard really. I also felt it dragged at times and the payoff at the end was nowhere near as exciting as it should have been. Anyway, it wasn't bad. I'd give it a C+. A good time-waster.

It was a fun film.

B

C

Falls apart in the third act.

Disappointing. The action sequences are great and Mark Wahlberg is good (although far from fantastic, as he has been in many other projects), but the story is mostly dull and some of the supporting performances are downright awful - especially Danny Glover. A conventional action film with nothing really new to offer.

C+

B


I too found it slightly disappointing after a lot of positive comments I have heard on it. It's a solid action-thriller that sometimes tries to be more important than it actually is. Mark Wahlberg is perfect for the role of Swagger, but my main gripe with the film was the lack of good villains. I mean that not for a single moment did Swagger seem in danger after the film's opening. He just finished off his enemies way too easily. I wished for some worthier opponents. The action was good and well-paced, though nothing extraordinary. The film always kept me entertained and was certainly somewhat edgier and ballsier than usual (like implying the rape of the main female protagonist). I wish it had been more successful than the character of Swagger would have become his own franchise with enough room for improvement.

B-

It falls apart when it tries to be a mini-Blood Diamond with it's political decency card. Not that ambition past a dumb action movie is bad, but a dumb-out action movie like this was not the place for it, as a result the whole storyline ended up being laughable, and also, convoluted.

I also find it hilarious that after it spends the whole film building this message about morality and what low standards towards human beings the Glover character has, as well as having Bob's arc consist around proving himself innocent and "good", they pull out an ending that pretty much throws all of that in the fire. I totally wtf!ed at that ending. Talk about totally missing the point.

It's kind of a shame that it went for the importance angle in the plot and buffooned it up, because in terms of action and chase suspense, it did a better job than I expected coming in. Good work with the actual shooting, explosions, fight sequences, I actually felt a lot more adreneline here than I did in the latest Die Hard film. I liked Pena's arc in the first half as well, uncovering the facts of the conspiracy and all. Kata Mora's arc also worked(as bad as an actress as she is), as Lecter pointed out the shotgun/rape scene and her outburst on the mountain, as well as the fact that no romance was forced with her, was a more daring approach than normal in these movies.

If only the second half consisted of pure chasing and the "conspiracy" consisted of something simple like boosting publicity for the pres., instead of the international mumbo jumbo bullshit, there would've been a very good film hidden in here...

A pretty disapointing film, It looked awsome from the trailer, but after seeing it, the film is no better than rock star or the Big hit

B

Its a conspiracy theorists dream. so much conjecture, so much moralizing so much Mark Wahlberg looking like he is straining out a shit.

Beyond such insanity its a very solid film. The action set pieces alone make me enjoy it. Kate Mara's impressive rack seals the deal.

Enjoyable actioner which I rewatched a couple days ago. The film is in good hands with Fuqua, it's easy on the eyes and has some good action. Perhaps it could've had more sniper action, but it's pretty balanced now and there are some cool set pieces. Wahlberg is likeable, but he does lack a seriousness that could have made the role better. The rest is well cast though.

B