Shooter (R)
Mike:
Scott:
Scott: Tonight we are reviewing the movie Shooter
starring Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger. Swagger is a top notch sniper who is brought in to help prevent an assassination and is framed when the assassination takes place.
What did you think Mike?
Mike: I found it entertaining. Not the most complex plot, but lots of good action, which is what I was there for.
And you?
Scott: It was a lot of fun. Good pacing throughout the movie. A fun ride you might say.
I am a Walhberg fan though, so I normally like what he puts out. This was no different.
Mike: I like Wahlberg also. He's fun to watch, whether it’s The Departed, Invincible or even, dare I say it, Rock Star.
Scott: I liked his movie, The Big Hit. I think I was the only one though.
Mike: Never saw it.
The man has been in a number of good movies, though.
Oh, forgot about The Italian Job. And who could forget Boogie Nights? I think that’s the first time I really noticed him. And if you saw the movie, there was a lot to notice.
Scott: This movie also starred Danny Glover as the bad, secret government agency man, Colonel Isaac Johnson.
Mike: Glover was a disappointment to me.
Scott: Towards the end of the movie, his whisper-like talking was getting on my nerves.
Mike: The really distracting thing is he talks as if he has some sort of dental appliance in his mouth. If he really does, then they should have dubbed it or something. I did not understand half of what he said.
Scott: I don't think it really mattered, he was just supposed to be menacing.
Mike: I thought he was much more menacing in movies like Witness or even The Color Purple. He let me down this time.
Scott: His partner in crime, Elias Koteas as Jack Payne, looked very familiar to me. In my mind I kept seeing him move a certain way and say something. Looking through his movie history, I figured it out. He was in Some Kind of Wonderful way back in 1987. I remember his scene at the party at the end. I have always loved that scene.
Mike: Also, remember that we just saw him in Zodiac. He was a police sergeant.
Scott: I know, but that wasn't the thought that came back when I saw him here.
Mike: No more short term memory? Are you getting old?
Scott: No, it wasn't that. I saw him in my minds eye in an older movie, and I couldn't place it for the longest time.
His character was predictable and I was actually surprised to see someone I know in the role.
Mike: The other name actor is Ned Beatty as Senator Charles Meachum.
Scott: He’s got a purty mouth.
Mike: In this movie I think he wants to pull a Deliverance on Bob Lee Swagger.
The bad thing is every time I see him now I think of him as Otis in Superman.
Scott: He was in a bunch of movies with Burt Reynolds in the early 80's. That's where I remember him most.
Mike: He is okay in this role, but I don't think either he, Glover or Koteas is as menacing as they think they are.
The two other actors I did like were Michael Pena and Kate Mara.
Scott: Mara played Sarah Fenn and while I thought I had seen her before, nothing she has done looks familiar. Unless it was in a CSI, which is very possible
Mike: I have seen her before on the Jack and Bobby TV show. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this show was way underrated and if it had been on a network other than the WB, it might have made it past one season.
Scott: Yeah, I can see the problem right there... WB.
Mike: Oh wait, it was well acted and well written, so there is no way it would have lasted on ANY network!
Michael Pena as Nick Memphis seemed familiar also. He was in World Trade Center as one of the first responders. In this film he is an inexperienced FBI agent.
Scott: I enjoyed watching him in this. He wasn't a bumbling idiot like they could have made him. He was just a rookie agent.
Mike: He also suspects our boy Swagger is innocent. I think he and Wahlberg make a pretty good team.
Scott: Director Antoine Fuqua has had some success in the past. He directed Training Day in 2001.
Mike: The problem with that is it’s going to be hard for him to top that.
Scott: He also directed Bait and Tears of the Sun, so not all of his movie were great.
Mike: I think he shows some skill directing actors and does a good job of pacing in this film.
Scott: This was a good outing for him.
Mike: Definitely better than 2004s King Arthur. That was not good.
Scott: I'm really not sure about his body of work. Don't judge this by his other stuff.
Mike: This movie has some great action scenes and is often quite tense.
This movie gave me what I was looking for; action with a little plot thrown in for good measure. It actually reminded me of the first Rambo movie, First Blood. That movie was not nearly as over the top as the rest of the Rambo series became.
Scott: I almost forgot, the movie has a high body count. I haven’t seen so many headshots since my gaming days with Doom.
Mike: Oh yes, but that is the joy of action movies.
Scott: Hey, nothing wrong with it, just wanted to point it out. The guy is one shot one kill, not a lot of fooling around. Some of his shots and the setups around them are cool too.
Mike: So how do you rate this?
Scott: I liked it. I give it a 3.5 overall and a 4 for action/adventure flick. Lots of action and not a lot of fluff.
And you?
Mike: I liked it as well, but would have preferred better villains. I give it a 3 overall and a 3.5 for action/adventure film.
Scott: As long as the kills are good, I can deal with lesser villains.
Mike: Instead of the bar, go to the theater for a shooter this weekend.
