Shooter (DVD, 2007, Widescreen)

Antoine Fuqua, the director of such action movies as TRAINING DAY and THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS, takes on government conspiracies in SHOOTER. Based on the book POINT OF IMPACT by Stephen Hunter, SHOOTER focuses on Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a former Marine scout sniper who has retired to a log cabin in the middle of the woods after a supposedly standard mission got out of hand in Ethiopia. Three years later, Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) shows up with two flunkies, trying to convince Swagger to help them thwart a plot to assassinate the president. Honor and duty get the better of him, and Swagger agrees to participate--only to find out that he has been set up, sending him on the run so he can discover who was really behind the shooting. With the whole world looking for him, the only people willing to help him are the widow of his former partner, Sarah (Kate Mara), and Nick Memphis (Michael Pena), a young FBI agent who refuses to stop investigating the case. Wahlberg, nominated for an Oscar for his supporting performance in THE DEPARTED, is excellent in the lead role of a complicated man who had turned his back on society, only to be thrust right back into the middle of it. Glover is solid as his arch-nemesis, who treats the situation as if it's some kind of game. SHOOTER is an action-filled suspense thriller that races through the streets of Philadelphia, New York, Kentucky, and Washington, DC, as well as Ethiopia in a violent search for answers.

"Shooter" is a well-presented political thriller., jam-packed with well-executed explosions and chases., but with an overused storyline. (The 'framed-I-didn't-do-it-and-I'l​l-find-out-who-did-myself-whil​e-ducking-my-pursuers' concept that spawned "The Fugitive", "U.S. Marshals", "Bourne Identity"., and Presidential Assassination and Conspiracy that spawned "In The Line of Fire", "Absolute Power" and "Murder At 1600".
Mark Wahlberg, ("Invincible" and "The Departed"), rifles his way through as Bob Lee Swagger, an ex-Marine marksman who is framed as a Presidential Assassin. Lemkin and Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) present grander statements about government corruption, military cover-ups, and a loss of faith in the American political system. Noble themes, for sure, and crafted with sledgehammer delivery., with shadowy conspiracies existing in every corner.
As the film opens, Swagger — three years after being abandoned by his superiors when a secret mission in Ethiopia went bad — has retired to the mountains of Wyoming. He shoots his own dinner and trusts no one., haunted by the death of his combat "spotter," Donnie (Lane Garrison), who was killed during the debacle in Ethiopia.
Swagger is officially out of the military sniper business, that is until a group of stony G-men, led by retired Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) show up at Swagger's home with an offer Swagger should refuse — 'to use his marksman skills to help them foil a suspected Presidential Assassination'.
The following sequence of events contrive a dubious web.
The Assassination attempt takes an unexpected turn and Swagger's on the run, set up as the actual shooter, and left hung out to dry by Colonel Johnson, the FBI, the CIA., and anyone else with the power to help him. Only a newbie FBI agent, Nick Memphis ("World Trade Center's" Michael Pena), realizes that something's awry and pairs up with Swagger to expose the truth.
Meanwhile, Swagger convinces Donnie's Kentucky Widow, Sara (Kate Mara), to join the cause. She will help; undercover in blonde wig and hooker drag to extract crucial information.
Crisscrossing the U.S.A., Swagger tries to stay alive before the real hit men execute him. All the while., sifting through the explosions, contempt and action-sequences until the crucial, unexpected climax reaches it's finale.
All-In-All, "Shooter" is a good film., it's just getting into the "overdone story-concept" category. Still., an enjoyable action-film. (At-Face-Value).

This movie is a big must for anyone's DVD collection. Great movie for a Saturday night! Action packed, thriller, conspiracy plots, very JFK ish
The shooter throws us into the world of Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) Former sharp shooter for the USMC, Bob's world is turned upside when he reluctantly takes a job for a Colonel who claims an attempt is going to be made on the Presidents life.
For us this movie was just all round great, there has been so many remakes of old movies lately, and we are surrounded by sequels, that this movie is a refreshing change. Mark Wahlberg is really good in this movie, and in our eyes he was born to play the role of Bob Lee Swagger (you have got to love the name!)

So if you want a refreshing change of pace Shooter is the movie for you

Wahlberg at his best in this movie. Action and suspense filled
as ex-sniper Wahlberg works his way through a secret government
group that is trying to cover up a mass killing in Africa. By
involving Wahlberg as a framed SHOOTER though-they buy alot more
trouble than they can handle. Filled with great rifle shots by
the ex-sniper with plenty of explosives also. Danny Glover (Predator 2,
BAT 21, etc.) is a surprise bad guy here that works for the secret
government agency and earns the wrath of Wahlberg in an explosive
ending. Antoine Fuque is the director of this movie and he has
several action movies already to his credit (Tears of the Sun, The
Bulletproof Monk, etc) and adds a top notch thriller with this movie.
If you like action movies with a military angle, then this flix is
right up your alley and it will give you a full night of entertainment.

I have never been a big Mark Wahlberg fan. So when this movie came out in the theatres I ignored and forgot about it. I was watching our local cable movie channel last night and I was able to catch it. Boy was I impressed.

The movie follows Wahlberg's character Swagger who is a sniper in the US army. After a mission goes wrong Swagger decides to remove himself from the military and retire into the mountains.

It is here that he is recruited by a mysterious clandestine group of people lead by Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover's character). He is then thrust into a conspiracy where Swagger is accused of murdering VIA snipping of an Ethiopian Arch Bishop.

The movie has lots of great action, a very good plot, and a few nice twists to keep you interested.

5/5

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