Shooter
Grade: C
| We first see Mark Wahlberg’s character as a sniper in the army – he’s in Ethiopia with his buddy and shooting partner – they complete their mission only to be left behind by the rest of their group. The partner is killed. Cut to three years later, here’s Mark now a recluse mountain man, the only relationship he has is with his dog. He’s approached by Danny Glover and some official looking government types to take on an assignment – he’s reluctant, but they appeal to his patriotism, and gets to work.
Things go awry and poor Mark ends up getting set up for a political assasination. But he’s more clever than these guys bargained for, and the cat and mouse chase is on. The movie is pretty formulaic, one girl, an unlikely sidekick, and lots of action. What do you expect when the movie is titled “Shooter?” I like Mark Wahlberg as an actor, but this isn’t an award-winning performance. His strength is that he’s kind of playing a guy much like himself, and that character has worked for him in the past, too. I liked him in “Invinsible” much more. And he was nominated for his supporting performance in “The Departed” when he really had to step up his game in scenes with the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Sheen. |