Finally there’s a movie that I can
talk about as its right up my alley. No there’s nothing new about "The
shooter": Its same ’good guy gets framed’ plot. Why, a few days ago we
were talking about "The Sentinel" which also happens to be in the similar
lines. And you could probably recall another dozen without batting your
eyelids! No siree! the treat lies elsewhere.* Shooter, is based on
Stephen Hunter’s 1993 novel point of impact, which is definitely worth a
read if you are a serious thriller lover of this genre. .In todays
geo-politics, conspiracy is no longer a myth, and it comes as no surprise that
many thrillers incorporate governmental clandestine operations, and cover-ups
into the fabric of their story. In a time when paranoia of the government
becomes second nature, a movie like Shooter sends out a strong message--
Who will guard the guardians? Coming back to the core theme------
Bobby Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) is an ex-Special Ops sniper who has hung
his boots after a mission in Ethiopia. He’s living in exile when old
Colonel Johnson (Danny Glover) turns up asking for help. Why? Cuz someone
is planning to assassinate the Prez in the next two weeks. Col. wants the best,
and Swagger is the best to do a mock run and anticipate how best to foil
the attack. Things heat up pretty fast and Swagger soon finds himself in the
thick of it-- in Philadelphia trying to save the President’s life, only to realize
he has been framed for the assassination attempt! Suddenly landing on the wrong
side of the law an injured Swagger is forced to run for it. He has only
two friends-- Sarah (Kate Mara), the girlfriend of his ex- partner, and FBI
agent Memphis (Michael Pena), who has smelt evidence of a conspiracy.
The bad guys (Glover) are real bad and powerful-- they are the system, and
that’s what makes you think. But Swagger too has been trained in a hard school.
He is a Special Forces operative who has been there, done that, seen all. Even
then he must summon all his mastery and soldiering skills to escape the rat-traps,
defy death and square the odds. In the past he had done so for his country. But
this time it is for justice and honor. And that he does with panache and
bravado.
Mark Wahlberg makes Swagger believable. He’s honest, he has been conned and
betrayed, Wahlberg portrays the resourcefulness and courage of Swagger so
well. I’ve always found Wahlberg to be a very natural actor. Ditto goes for
Danny Glover who plays the bad guy. In fact it is the duo’s acting that
makes this movie commendable and convincing-- add a good plot, fast pace,
great action and suspense and you’ve got a sure shot entertaining thriller in
your hands. In fact such thrillers don’t come any better than this one
Shooter does what any good thriller should do - it thrills. It’s
fast-paced, hot and unpredictable. It also doesn’t mess around with the
original plot (I always give full marks for originality) Director Antoine
Fuqua has done a much better job than "King Arthur" or that pathetic
"Training Day". Shooter is worth the entire bang for your bucks--Especially
if you love fast moving action flicks with a convincing cast. So go for it. You
won’t regret watching it soldier