The Shooter

Plot synopsis:
During a mission in a country where "we are not supposed to be in", sniper Bob Lee and his spotter Don 'Donnie' Fenn are deemed to be expendable and are forced to find their own way out. Donnie is killed. 36 months later, Bob Lee Swagger reluctantly leaves a self-imposed exile from his isolated mountain home in the Wind River Range at the request of Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover), who appeals to him to help track down an assassin who is planning to shoot the president. Johnson gives him a list of three cities where the President is scheduled to visit and Swagger assesses a site in Philadelphia as the most likely. This turns out to be a set-up; while Swagger is working with Johnson's agents Jack Payne (Elias Koteas) to find the rumored assassin, the Ethiopian archbishop is instead shot while standing next to the president. Swagger is then shot twice by a city police officer, but manages to escape. Payne tells the police that Swagger is the shooter and this unleashes a manhunt for the injured sniper. However, he meets rookie FBI special agent Nick Memphis (Michael Peña), proclaims his innocence, disarms the agent, and steals his car.
Memphis is blamed for Swagger's escape and is informed that he will face disciplinary review, but argues that, given Swagger's training and experience, it is surprising that the president survived and the archbishop standing several feet away was killed.
Swagger takes refuge with Sarah Fenn (Kate Mara), widow of his late spotter and close friend, killed in the mission in Africa 3 years before. He later convinces her to help him and contacts Agent Memphis with information on the conspiracy. Memphis had been independently investigating evidence that Swagger may have been framed for the assassination, and is further made suspicious when he learns that the officer who shot Swagger was himself shot dead just hours later in a "mugging".
When the agents realize their secret is compromised, they kidnap Memphis and attempt to stage his suicide. Swagger pursues them and kills the captors. The two then join forces and visit a firearms expert who provides information on the FBI's ballistics report and a short list of people capable of taking a shot from a distance of one mile or more. Armed with the information and the realization they have actually found the last man alive who could have made the shot, Swagger and Memphis plot to capture the ex-sniper, whom they now know is the real assassin. Once they find him, he commits suicide after revealing that the archbishop was actually the real target and was murdered to prevent him from revealing the U.S. involvement in the massacre of an Eritrean village. The massacre was carried out on behalf of a consortium of American corporate oil interests headed by corrupt Senator Charles Meachum (Ned Beatty). Swagger records the ex–sniper's confession of his involvement in the African massacre, in which he also reveals that Swagger and his spotter Don were not supposed to survive. With Memphis' assistance, Swagger escapes from an ambush by mercenaries.
Payne and other rogue agents kidnap Sarah to lure Swagger out of hiding. It is suggested that a restrained and bruised Sarah is raped by the mercenary, Jack Payne, who captured her. With his new evidence and cat and mouse strategy, Swagger and Memphis are able to rescue her when Colonel Johnson and Senator Meachum arrange a meeting to exchange their hostage for the evidence of their wrongdoing. Swagger shoots several men who are hiding to ambush him, also seriously wounding Payne, the mercenary. Sarah picks up a gun and finishes Payne off. The Senator is allowed to escape, while Swagger and Memphis surrender to the FBI.
Swagger is brought before U.S. Attorney General Russert and the FBI director in a closed-door meeting with Colonel Johnson, Memphis, and Sarah also present. Swagger quickly clears his name by loading a round into his rifle (which is there as evidence, since it was supposedly used in the killing), aims it at the Colonel, and pulls the trigger — which fails to fire. Swagger explains that every time he leaves his house, he removes the firing pins from all his guns, replacing them with slightly shorter ones, thus rendering them inoperable until he returns. Although Swagger is exonerated, Colonel Johnson cannot be charged with his crime, as the Eritrean massacre was outside American legal jurisdiction. The attorney general tells Swagger that justice does not always prevail in today's world. "It's not the Wild West where you can clean up the streets with a gun, even though sometimes that's exactly what's needed." Russert then orders Swagger released and exonerates him of all charges.
At the senator's home, Johnson and Senator Meachum celebrate and plan their next move. Swagger breaks in and kills both conspirators and their men, arranging for the house to blow up as if by accident. In a final scene, he drives away with Sarah.

Tags: suspenseful, comedy, murder, violence, flashback

Review:
I quite like watching Dolph Lundgren movies that are high on atmosphere.
I'll get to that after a brief round up of the plot.So the Dolphage here is US Marshal Michael Dane, who has been sent abroad to kidnap Simone Rosset (Maruschka Detmers), a sniper who is accused of assassinating a Cuban official in New York, and bring her to trial.
It's morally wrong, as Rosset says in the movie, if the Czechs abducted a US citizen from Pittsburgh for trial in the Czech Republic, that would be a huge international incident.Thing is she may not even have done it, and Dane (like Waxman in Silent Trigger) has a troubled conscience.
Assumpta Serna's presence is welcome, she's an unbelievable sauce who actually appears to have more sexual power 10 years later in the Quay Brothers' superb movie PianoTuner of Earthquakes at the age of nearly 50.Purty places include the fabulous Czech restaurant, which I suspect is probably a little more touristy than the movie suggests (you can see Alphonse Mucha designs on the backs of the menus - famous artist of Prague).
Marta and Simone, one gets the impression, are experts at living.Although others have said that the special effects are not all that, I think there's a couple of pretty cool ones, take the leap to the metro car for example.
It's true that the movie is a cheapie compared with modern stuff, but I don't think a few cases of movie explosives were going to make this one better.The plot is fairly much all over the place, and the Cuban officials in the movie a big annoyance, the fact that Dolph is basically the adopted son of one of the spooks comes off as pretty silly, as does the major plot twist.
There's also a kind of strange beauty to the fights between Dolph and Simone, in that he's more than twice her size, and yet she has enough nouse to make them last out.The lasting value is in the film's aesthetics, and the haunting of Dane, as well as the occasional fairly cool special effect.
I didn't take this movie seriously, and I'll bet the actors had fun making this movie.The scenery and location were very impressive, the interaction between the main characters was good, with a touch of (unintended?) comedy throughout.
Some of the scenes were unbelievable, but that just added to the feeling that you couldn't take this seriously as an action-adventure movie.
If it isn't taken seriously, well that's the fun of it.I had never seen Dolph Lundgren act before, and was comparing him to Arnold...
both are hard workers.The story line is this movie's weakest point, along with a few minor characters who obviously were put in the movie for appearance but no acting ability whatsoever.Overall, I liked it and after repeated viewings, I still enjoy it..
Though this film would be classed as mediocre by most, I rate this movie fairly high.
The scenery is fantastic, the soundtrack is interesting with its combination of suspense and smooth jazz, and with Dolph Lundgren side-kicked with John Ashton you get a smooth, even dose of action, adventure and comedy.Though the movie does seem slow at times, and you tend to forget the characters names or the reason why Dolph is actually there in the first place, the movie does provide decent suspense and action throughout.I didn't like the fact that Dolph's main wound (his arm) was self-inflicted and rather, well...
Enough said.This movie is fantastic, you'll either rate it as a masterpiece or just a decent, action flick; but nothing lower..
As a Dolph Lundgren fan this film goes down as one of my prefered viewings.
I do like a good thriller, with some plot twists and tension.
This film has those but to a mild degree, your not going to get really excited at this compared to something like Mission Impoosble with its high production and A-list cast but for a B-movie this is a good film that is surprising in places and reasonably well written.Dolph plays Michael Dane, who is working with the FBI to try to capture a known assasin played by the sexy Maruschka Detmers.
Dane does not beleive she killed the Cuban Ambassador, but he still has to bring her into custody in the build up to a summit between the US and Cuba to try to get the two country's to shake and make up if you like.
one particular example is the inclusion of Dolphs character, he is flown in from New York to Prague simply to arrest this Woman, why on Earth she wasn't brought in before is beyond me, especially considering that her whereabouts were known.
A lot doesn't make sense but those minor quibbles aside, the film is nicely paced and is enjoyable.The acting is good, Dolph is assured and puts in one of his better performances, he has great chemistry with the excellent Maruschka who in turn also shows great chemistry with Assumpta Serna who plays Marta the possible lover of Simone.
That is another mystery of the film, the sexual preference of Simone (Detmers) this does kind of undermine the development of a relationship between Dolph and Maruschkas characters.
Also good is John Ashton as a bit of comic support as Danes Foster father and aid in the hunt for Simone.Furthermore, the action scenes.
Also later in the film when Dolph rescues Simones character and just after when  they both escape.
The end is good to with the music helping to really build everything to a climactic crescendo.Overall this is a fairly decent thriller, with some nice lighting in the dark shots, and some nice and suitably dank locations.
Dolph and Maruschka have a great chemistry, and the twists in the film are good.
I was expecting top-grade action, especially since Lundgren was the star, but the movie is a real bore.
The script is (mostly) unsurprising, containing a major plot twist that you'll see coming from the first few minutes of the movie.
Although this film is not interesting for its acting or its story line, you must see it (even with the sound off) if only for the absolutely gorgeous set design, lighting design, and cinematography, which combine to make this film an eye-popping piece of eye candy.
I feel bad writing this review, since my far-from-perfect rating mostly reflects my disappointment in having expected a different kind of movie.
Honestly, HIDDEN AGENDA is a pretty good film from Dolph Lundgren's early DTV career...if you're looking for a spy thriller.
This is definitely a movie you'll have to check out for yourself to get the full gist of it, unless you're looking for a genuine action film like me - then you can save your money.The story: CIA agent Michael Dane (Lundgren) is assigned to apprehend the prime suspect in an ambassador's murder (Maruschka Detmers) in Prague and bring her to America, not knowing that he's about to be thrown into a web political intrigue and treachery.Considering that the film was made for a slim $7 million and as a cooperative effort among five countries, it looks admirably good.
There's one embarrassing instance early in the picture where the filmmakers had to fudge a laser pointer, but otherwise, director Ted Kotcheff's capabilities shine through - not only by successfully filming scenes you wouldn't expect to find in a cheap film, but also by making the East European filming location fun to look at.
Authentic Czech is spoken throughout, which is pretty nice, and the film maintains a sense of gravity and importance that'd be exceedingly rare in Lundgren's subsequent career.The movie isn't completely without good action.
However, the problem is that very little of the action is the kind that I like.
Lundgren once claimed to have injured himself before he could complete all of the scenes, which might explain the lack of more hand-to-hand action, but it's still disappointing.
Apparently Dolph's charms are so great in this picture that not even a lesbian character can withstand him.For most fans, I'd imagine the movie is at least worth a look, unless you're on the same page as me and would miss the almost-nonexistent fisticuffs..
****SPOILERS**** After the Cuban Ambassador to the UN is assassinated in New York City the CIA, with the help of Cuban government officials, trace the killer to be the daughter of an exiled anti-Castro Cuban living in the Czech Republic who's a professional assassin named Simone Rosset and using the name of Yanna Natova, Maruschka Detmers.
With a major meeting by the Cuban and US government set in Prague to re-establish diplomatic relations between those two countries it's expected that Simone will disrupt the meeting by trying to kill both the Cuban and US officials expected to sign that agreement.
Sending US Marshall Michael Dane, Dolph Lundgren, to arrest Simone and bring her back to the US to stand trial for the Cuban Ambassador's murder Michael is met by his long time friend and US government agent Alex Reed, John Aston, to help him in finding and arresting Simone.
Later as Michael is about to take Simone to the Prague airport to fly with her back to the US, to be tried for murder, Simone tells him that she never was in New York the day of the Ambassador's killing and never left the Czech Republic in five years; Simone also tells Michael that she'll never live to stand trial.
Simone's prediction comes sadly true when she's assassinated in a Prague hotel room after Michael saved her life from a number of assassin attempts that he foiled.
Realizing, too late to save Simone's life, that it's evident that there are those in higher ups in both the US and Cuban governments who don't want that signing to take place Michael goes to the signing ceremony in Prague to prevent it from being disrupted by the real assassins of the Cuban UN Ambassador.
Great action scenes that leave you black and blue just from watching them with Dolph Lundgren at his best as the reluctant hero who breaks with his superiors, to stop the very assassination that he was assigned by them to prevent, who think that the real killer is already dead.
Maruschka Detmers is the biggest surprise in the movie by being every bit as good as Dolph in the action scenes but also touches the heart-strings with her both sensitive as well as tragic performance as the doomed Simone.
Tremendous final under the streets and on top of the buildings of picturesque Prague with Dolph Lundgren, bloody T-shirt and all, saving the day by putting the bad guys on ice as well as single-handedly restoring US-Cuban relations for the first time in some forty years..
'The Shooter' (aka 'Hidden Assassin' which I find much cooler title) is quite trivial on the plot wise - special agent goes to Prague to catch supposed assassin, but things aren't like they seem.
By the time of filming this movie Dolph Lundgren's acting range had improved a lot and he is not as wooden as in some of his earlier movies.
Hidden Assassin (its proper name is The Shooter) is not just another mindless Dolph Lundgren actioner.
It's a fairly well-plotted and exciting political thriller with some fine acting and great action sequences.
Dolph plays a US Marshall (surprise, surprise) who is sent to Prague to find the assassin who killed the Cuban ambassador.
Detmers is a beautiful bisexual assassin who Dolph gets caught up with, and before long the two of them are walking on dangerous ground while trying to stay alive the whole time.
Overall, I would probably recommend this one over some of Dolph's most well-known movies (Red Scorpion, Universal Soldier).
There is some action here – car chases , fights and shootouts but it's all completely flat and joyless.
There is some suspense here and there , but it's simply not enough.The Prague looks nice and John Ashton ("Beverly hills cop") is OK as Lundgren's buddy.
Dolph is Michael Dane, a US Marshal on the hunt for Simone Rosset (Maruschka Detmers) a shapely assassin suspected of doing a Frank Sinatra and coming out of retirement to off a Cuban ambassador.
Rosset, however, pleads her innocence, and Dane uncovers doings of the murky variety when he investigates a little further.Detmers is an actress new to me, but she adds a touch of class to an otherwise pedestrian action movie.
Her character is obviously modelled on Nikita, but Simone is a part-time lesbian with a taste for good wine and a knack for jumping off high places.
On the plus side, the story does at least try to be a little different from the countless other mid-budget efforts out there, adding an unexpected twist that is well-timed and effective, and making use of some terrific Prague location work.This one is for those times when you really don't want to think about what you are watching; it's for when you want the film to do all the work and lay everything out for you without inserting any sly subtexts, etc.
The action set-pieces are a little workmanlike  the budgets restricts them to a couple of car chases and a lot of gunfights  but one, carried out on the rooftops of Prague, is pretty cool.No-one sitting down to watch a film like this should be doing so with high expectations, so it follows then that no-one should be disappointed.
Incredibly forgetful and incomprehensible hodgepodge about a U.S. marshal, Michael Dane (Dolph Lundgren) out to investigate the recent assassination of a Cuban ambassador to the U.S. in New York City.
His adventures lead him to the city of Prague in the Czech Republic where he must apprehend an apparent "suspect" (Maruschka Detmers), who may or may not be the one responsible for the killing.
He must then return her to New York City in the United States of America so that she may await trial for the murder.As time goes by, Dane and the alleged "professional assassin" are on the lam.
They run from the police, various bad guys, and lots of shootings occur.The gorgeous on-location filming at some of the finest monuments found at the Czech Republic are a mild virtue and THE SHOOTER (also known as HIDDEN ASSASSIN) has occasional suspense.Unfortunately, those are not good enough redeeming factors to give this film high marks.
The action in THE SHOOTER is abysmal, the guns blazing add nothing new to the genre, and these type of thrillers are becoming tiresome as they perish on the video shelves.
Hidden Assassin is one of the better 90's Dolph flicks..
When the Cuban ambassador to the U.N. is assassinated by a sniper, U.S. Marshal Michael Dane (Dolph) travels to Prague to apprehend the suspect.
As it turns out, the suspect is Simone Rosset (Detmers), and the relationship between Dane and Rosset becomes complicated.
Naturally, there is a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top - and Dane must fight hard to get to the truth.
Hidden Assassin - not to be confused with Silent Trigger (1996), or Hidden Agenda (2001) for that matter (although Silent Trigger has a similar plot that involves male and female snipers who are conflicted about their actions) - was made during the period in Dolph's career where he was trying to be more serious, and was appearing in films with a darker and more somber tone.
Whether intentionally or not on his part when he was choosing his roles, these 90's Dolphs are different from his 80's heyday.What follows is more intrigue than out-and-out action, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a different animal from, say, The Punisher (1989).
The Prague locations are a highlight of the movie.
The cinematography is top-notch, and thanks to the interesting setting and good production values, as well as the big-sounding score, Hidden Assassin seems to be going for a classier vibe.Detmers recalls a more-sane Sean Young in her prime, and as far as casting goes, in lesser (?) hands, Dolph's role could have been played - should the dire need arise - by Frank Zagarino (similar hair).
We haven't heard too much from him lately.Hidden Assassin is probably one of the better 90's Dolphs, thanks to the quality of the technical aspects of the film, but had this movie been made in the 80's, it would have been a more full-throttle action film, and that would have been nice to see.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com.
(Credit: Google)I spent years trying to find a copy of this movie as I'm a loyal Lundgren fan.
Detmers unpredictably as Simone was fun to watch and she had good chemistry with Lundgren.
I'm not gonna go out of my way to recommend this movie to you but I guess you could do a lot worse as well when it comes to political thrillers.5/10.
Trashy action vehicle for Dolph Lundgren.
One other, often forgotten star of these straight-to-video bonanzas is Dolph Lundgren, who has been churning out his movies throughout the '90s to little recognition in and out of the genre.
At around the hour mark, the film suddenly changes into high gear, and is then packed with shoot-outs, car chases, and action up until the very end.
The action scenes may be clichéd (the old train-top chase is brought into play, for example) but they are frequently exciting, with lots of machine guns blazing and Lundgren escaping from death time and time again.Which brings me to the acting; lamentable, as to be expected.
There are many individual scenes of interest in this film; a moment where Lundgren cuts his own arm with a stanley knife (bet you can't guess how they did that!), a rooftop fight between Lundgren and a sniper, a shoot-out at a desert airport, and the finale, which involves a machine-gun battle between Lundgren and two of the main bad guys.
THE SHOOTER may be clichéd entertainment, but it delivers on the action front, and is quite enjoyable in a so-bad-it's-trashy way.