"Shooter"  A Shot in the Dark

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2007)

I normally have mixed feelings toward Mark Wahlberg movies. Mainly because he's in some spectacular films, but I usually don't approve of his acting, which causes a paradox for me. This however was the first one that I thought he actually was suitable for. The end result was a production that I thoroughly enjoyed much more than I originally expected. I had heard beforehand the novel was simply amazing and while I'm sure the book is better as that is pretty much always the general rule, I don't think this translation will be too far below the high standards it set.
"Shooter" had many strong points and it got off to an excellent start. It kept up its momentum until about a little over halfway through when an ever so slight cheese factor popped its ugly head up. The frustrating part was it really didn't need to throw in a slow-motion walking scene and the worst part was the ending as it just screamed, "we should've just let it finish at the prior scene but wanted to throw in more action for the sake of it." There were some corny quotes but nothing I couldn't tolerate. Possible plot holes did appear but only if the viewer engaged in some hardcore analyzing, which the typical one probably won't for this. The tiny disruptions in the flow of logic are easily overlooked however and the picture is honestly very enjoyable.
The comic relief was blended in smoothly and really polished off what would normally be some rough edges as there is some depressing ideology thrown around. There was definitely a sneaky reference made to Dick Cheney's hunting accident which was really funny as it happens so fast that it's hard to catch until after the fact. The action was great and very fast-paced. The coolest factor was that despite most of the situations being either improbable or even impossible, they were shot in a way that didn't make them seem too unbelievable at the present time. This was by no way a mindless flick either. The concept wasn't completely original, but new paths were followed and did branch out into uncharted domains.
Already controversy has emerged that anti-American themes are displayed a lot. I have to disagree with this because while dissatisfaction with the sleazy way things are being run under our current administration is the underlying theme. By voicing that opinion is a perfect demonstration of the true American way. The oil crisis is looked down upon, as are some of our other questionable foreign policies. Specific monstrous atrocities are used as an example, but since they're in other countries no one over here really cares. This rings a true bell. Another moral that is stated by the attorney general near the end is that, "justice doesn't always prevail." That couldn't be anymore on the money either. Lately it seems the bad are the only ones being rewarded since they're willing to do things honest people won't.
The acting was varied and Mark Wahlberg's voice actually changed at least three times. It might've been intentional but if it was, it didn't need to be. Everyone else was at least halfway decent and it was nice to see Ned Beatty appearing in a quality picture again. I highly recommend this film as it offers an interesting perspective on our present nation's status and is a great way to pass two hours. It offers edge of your seat entertainment and is the first straight up action movie that can spark fairly intelligent conversation afterward that I've seen in a long time. "Shooter" will blast away most audiences and should snipe its way to the top of this weekend's box office.