The best movie of its kind

Rating: 9/10 (13 March 2007)

Think about this:
Mark Wahlberg. Long-range rifles. Explosives. Those three things can bring a smile to my face, and when they're all piled into the same two-hour ball of fury, it can even make me blush. Shooter is the kind of movie that starts you out by grabbing the bull by the horns and not letting go the entire time. In every sequence in the movie, something happens that'll make you turn to your friend and go "HOLY CRAP!". Unless you go to see it by yourself, in which case, you might need some friends. The premise of the movie is simple, yet sufficient: an ex-military sniper (the best in the world) is set up for the murder of the Archbishop of some African country. However, one thing the government didn't count on was Bob Lee Swagger getting away from them. And so begins two hours of cat-and-mouse. Normally, I hate cat-and-mouse movies, but this one is just so awesome I can't help but love it. Supported by Danny Glover, Kate Mara, and Michael Peña, Mark Wahlberg leads a cast that are just really, really freaking BA. That's the only way to describe it. Marky Mark has become one of those actors that I will go see a movie just because he's in it (Shooter, The Departed, Invincible, Four Brothers, I Heart Huckabees, The Italian Job). The movie has a few twists and turns along the way, making sure to keep those who crave a smarter sort of action movie satisfied. It's no Bourne Identity-level plot, but it's enough to justify a few explosions and gunfights.