Fun, Suspenseful Movie

Rating: 7/10 (6 January 2015)

This is not Shakespeare and so shouldn't be reviewed or scored as such. This is a fun, entertaining, suspenseful joyride of a movie. The scenes move quickly, the plot is straightforward with obvious bad guys, the locations are extreme and the action larger than life. It follows all the typical plot "twists" but that's okay because it's done with enthusiasm.
Mark Wahlberg plays the action star that he always plays when in an action film but that's okay because he plays it well. He fully commits to the role - that borders on comical - and so therefore he makes it work.
Michael Pena is a surprise as his character starts slowly but evolves. He is the unlikely hero for a big Hollywood movie which frankly is refreshing.
The biggest miss is Kate Mara who I generally am a big fan. Her attempt at a Southern accent is painfully bad and borderline insulting. It's also unnecessary to the story as is the need for random scenes of her in a bra. While she is obviously beautiful, it would be nice for her career if she could be more than a body.
The Shooter has all the realism of Rambo 2 but that's not the point. It holds your attention with big action and limited dialogue which is really the hallmark of a great action film.