Wednesday Rewind: Shooter by @destroytheearth

What is the appeal behind snipers? We don't get computer games about military engineers or films about explosives experts... well, aside from The Specialist...

Still, we love snipers; maybe it's that little victory when a hidden, silent and disciplined soldier fires that single shot that ruins all the bad guys' plans: a plot technique used in abundance during Shooter.
Mark Wahlberg is, of course, justly maligned for his distinct lack of acting talent, but his one-expression performance is pitch-perfect for this film's unshakeable protagonist, who has the greatest name in the history of all action films: Bob Lee Swagger. Yes, this is a 'redneck veteran versus the evils of society' film in the style of Rambo and Commando.

The plot is largely nonsensical. Danny Glover does menacing far better than he ever did comic relief, as a spook who, along with his eeeevil henchman Elias Kotias, recruits reluctant-patriot Swagger to plan the perfect assassination in order to work out how best to avert an assassination attempt on the President. How could that go wrong?

You guessed it: Glover uses our hero's plans to actually go for the President and then frames Swagger for it. Not that Swagger is that bothered; no, this is a personal matter; as Swagger puts it: "You don't understand. These people killed my dog." Yes, that is an actual line from the film - *joygasm*

So, Swagger teams up with junior FBI agent Michael Pena, his dead army buddy's wife and love interest Kate Mara and Rhona Mitra who appears to only be in the film to act as a glamorous contrast to Mara's girl-next-door sexiness; not that I would ever complain about Rhona Mitra being in a film....

Pena is another type of delight; mainly in that he is so absolutely nondescript. When you first catch a glimpse of him, you are convinced that he will be an extra, making it a wonderful surprise when he turns out to be our hero's sidekick. I would say his performance steals the film, were it not for Rhona Mitra's legs....



Kotias, Mitra, Glover, snipers and big, stupid, tongue-in-cheek action; this is a film that makes you morn the fact that Schwarzenegger is now The Governator and lacks the time to crack wise and fire rocket launchers.