Nothing particularly special but by doing the basics well and no aspiration above its station it manages to be enjoyable and slick

Rating: Null/10 (15 June 2007)

Bob Swagger (no, really) is a top sniper for the US military. However when he is abandoned behind enemy lines during a black op, his spotter is killed and his faith in his commanders is gone. Three years later, Swagger is living in the hills with only his cynicism and a dog for company. Three men from the Government roll up one day, saying that they need Swagger's expertise to help work out where a long range threat to the president's life could possibly come from  something intel says is going to happen in the next few weeks. Swagger obliges, identifying the one likely spot and, before you can say "oldest trick in the book", shots are fired, a visiting Ethiopian dignitary is dead and Swagger is shot by a cop who had been assigned to his unit. Swagger escapes with injuries but, with his face all over the television, can he clear his name and bring down the real perpetrators?
This came and went in the cinema in the UK, doing the business that was expected of it but nothing more  drawing the audience one would expect for this sort of thing but nothing more. The reviews were middle of the road and there wasn't anything about it that inspired me to get out and see this. On a recent flight this was one of the choices and, looking for something that wouldn't require much thought, I plumped for it. What I found was pretty much what I expected in a that could be compared to an unsung hero on a championship team  it doesn't have anything unique about it, but it does the basics well and produces a roundly pleasing film that delivers just what you expect from it.
It isn't perfect of course and nobody should expect it to be. The narrative arch is obvious before you even press play; too much time is spent with the additional character of the partner's girlfriend and it does tend to wear its cynicism obviously on its sleeve rather than weaving it into characters and plot. Plus, ignoring specific issues, it is a thriller that does not aspire to be more than a good thriller. As such it works, it moves forward well with an edge of "military cool" that Hollywood generally gives the sniper character. It plays this very well, mostly making the plot move forward with a smooth flow to it. Wahlberg is a good choice for this type of thing as he is a good presence and makes for an accessible action hero. OK, maybe his character is sprayed onto his skin rather than something convincing and real, but who would have thanked him here for producing something deep? The support cast is heavy with familiar faces and names such as Glover, Koteas (or was it Meloni? I'll bet their mothers don't even know anymore), Mitra, Beatty and others. They all do OK without doing anything special as the material mostly requires "sinister figures" from them. Peña is an OK sidekick for Swagger but I'm not sure I entirely bought his part in the film.
Overall then, a perfectly fine action thriller that is all the more enjoyable for not really having many aspirations beyond that. Some bits could have been edited tighter to make it flow quicker at times and some of the superficial attempts at modern cynicism could have been lost but otherwise it makes for the type of movie that will be perfect as a DVD in with beer for the large target audience.