Shooter (2007, Antoine Faqua)

"A marksman living in exile is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he goes on the run to track the real killer and find out who exactly set him up, and why"

Mark Walhberg as a sniper trying to find out who framed him for a murder by sniping people and getting all the facts straight. This is exactly what I was expecting from this film and I was fine with this but when the laughable trailers starting popping up it just looked like another run of the mill stupid action film. Not the mindless fun that it seemed to be about at first. The film never really interested me and I never thought about renting it. However, when my dad rented it I decided to watch it since I had nothing to lose.

Shooter is the kind of the film that people will say "Its a popcorn film! Have fun with it and don't think about it too much" I am all for these kinds of films but I really do believe that they hardly come out anymore. Every one of these "popcorn/turn your mind off films" seems to be trying to cram down its ADD style down your throat meanwhile trying too hard to deliver an amazing action film that just comes out lame and forgettable.

The first hour of Shooter is not like this though. It has a well balanced direction and style that is matched by fun performances. The first hour deals with the whole "sniper gets framed and is on the run from everyone" plot and its a lot of fun to watch. But when the film goes into its second hour and begins to explore the "why was he framed and who did it?" plot the film begins to slip away from itself. The film which at first starts out as a fun popcorn film turns into an espionage type of film that actually tries to have a deep and profound political statement. Just for this the film is no longer "fun" for me.Plus, you get ridiculous characters like the crazy woodsmen that knows everything about the government and can help out the sniper find some answers. If a film is called Shooter and has a sniper sniping people all the time and yet tries to have a meaningful political insight then this is no longer fun to watch and turns to the ridiculous side for the most part

Shooter is not a bad film at all. It just feels a little bit odd to watch it and see how it turns into something else all of a sudden meanwhile you are left wishing it would turn back to what it was before.

- B-