Shooter

Viewer Rating:Pandabat has rated Shooter rating: 1.5 Star

After stepping up in stature in Scorcese's "The Departed", Mark Wahlberg is back in a role much more at the level that we're accustomed to seeing him in. Playing an ex-US Marine super sniper prevously left behind in enemy territory by his comrades, he has retired to civilian life deep in the mountains. Tracked down by some shady serect government organisation types, his patriotism is played upon to bring him back and help foil a potential assassination plot on the US president. When this turns out to be a trap where he is to be the fall guy, he is forced to go on the run, seeking revenge whilst attempting to prove his innocence. It's reasonably standard action movie territory here, despite the impressive supporting cast: Elias Koteas, Michael Pena, Ned Beatty, Rhona Mitra, Rade Serbedzija, Kate Mara and even Danny Glover (ok, you mightn't know all the names but you'll know the faces when you see them). There are plenty of explosive sequences to keep you interested and the pace rarely lets up which is essential to a movie like this. It's all a bit like a game of Counterstrike on PC but in a turn-your-brain-off kind of way it's actually enjoyable enough, at least for one viewing, although the movie's over-obvious theme of "not needing to support your corrupt government in order to be a patriot" is rather in your face at times. Perhaps the main question you'll be asking yourself in between the bright primary colours, the flying bullets and the clouds of flames is what the hell has Danny Glover done to his mouth? He seems to have 2 layers of teeth on his lower jaw and his speech is almost as whistle-filled as anything Cardinal Cathal Daly ever did. Bizarre!

Review published on the 04 May 2007 17:47