Chris Kyle's American Sniper Hits the Target

Rating: 9/10 (4 April 2017)

"The thing that, uh... haunts me are all the guys that I *couldn't* save," said Chris Kyle about the men and women he could not save in Iraq. An action-packed movie, American Sniper, portrays the life of a Texas cowboy seeing the Twin Towers collapse on 9/11then enlisting in the Navy and becoming a Navy SEAL. In American Sniper, Clint Eastwood did not shy away from showing Chris Kyle's emotional and psychological battle in and out of the military. At times in Iraq, Kyle had to contemplate shooting women and children. Kyle learned from his father that the world contains three things: "sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs," who he must defeat and defend. Hunting skills Kyle learned in Texas paid off as he developed sniper skills, which eventually led to confirmed kills—160 in total during his time in Iraq. Eastwood shows Kyle as a selfless and reliable military man, who desires to protect his country. Bradley Cooper plays Kyle with an attitude of edginess and resilience. Also, Cooper portrays Kyle as a true American hero and shows the side of Kyle's PTSD. At the end, a lasting impression of the movie explains Kyle was giving back to a veteran at a shooting range, which ultimately cost Kyle his life. While showing the struggles of a Navy SEAL, American Sniper grips the hearts of viewers who catch a glimpse of a devoted and patriotic American hero. This movie deserves a 4.2 out of 5.