Shooter (2007)

Directed by: Antoine Fuqua | 124 minutes | action, thriller | Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Peña, Elias Koteas, Danny Glover, Rhona Mitra, Kate Mara, Rade Sherbedgia, Ned Beatty, Mackenzie Gray, Adrian Hughes, Dean McKenzie

‘Shooter’ by Antoine Fuqua is loosely based on the book ‘Point of Impact’ by Stephen Hunter. But now, after films like ‘The Bourne Identity’ (and ‘Supremacy’) and ‘The Fugitive’, the theme – innocent man flees the state that framed him – is not very original anymore. Yet ‘Shooter’ also knows how to ensure that you are always on the edge of your seat. From minute one Mark Wahlberg, as ex-military Bobby Lee, knows how to hold you in his grip and he doesn’t let go for the next 123 minutes. Exciting of course, but really adrenaline-increasing are the many action scenes in the film.

Only the big downside that keeps this film from rising above average is the acting; that is generally fair to okay, but never really good. Where the plot proves to be entertaining, the actors unfortunately fail. But it must be said: some of the blame also lies with the sometimes somewhat tedious and unnecessarily long dialogues. Mark Wahlberg (‘The Departed’, ‘Planet of the Apes’) took sniper lessons especially for this film and it shows. Created as he sometimes comes across during the dialogues, he seems to be in place in the action scenes. Luckily there are a lot of them! He feels like a fish in water as he plants his homemade bombs and he knows how to be armed and let all justice prevail. Although some scenes are very plastically portrayed, the amount of blood that splashes through the image is not that bad.

‘Shooter’ thus manages to emphasize the thriller/action content rather than the shooting/slasher qualities. Unpredictable is a strong word, but there are some surprising twists that keep the action going. Of the other actors, Michael Peña (as Nick Memphis, the only FBI person who believes in Bobby Lee’s innocence) and Danny Glover (as bad-guy Colonel Isaac Johnson) stand out. Peña in a positive way, and Glover for his inconclusive acting. The bad guy is usually the strongest – and often the most complicated and fun – character in the film, but here Glover plays an unmemorable Johnson.

In contrast to many other films, ‘Shooter’ has to rely mainly on the strong story instead of the cast. Nevertheless ‘Shooter’ is an intelligent conspiracy thriller that will certainly appeal to fans of the genre. But because of the choice of actors, he probably won’t get very far with the larger audience.