Shooter

Quick synopsis:

A top Army sniper who previously abandoned the military after a routine mission gave way to tragedy is double-crossed by the government after reluctantly being pressured back into service in Training Day director Antoine Fufua's adaptation of Stephen Hunter's novel Point of Impact. There was a time when Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) was the best trigger-man in the military, but after growing disillusioned with the system, he disappeared without a trace. After being located at his remote mountain retreat by high-profile government officials following an extensive search, Swagger is coerced back into service in order to stop a determined assassin from taking out the President of the United States. In the process of carrying out his mission, however, Swagger suddenly realizes that he has been betrayed when he becomes the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Now wounded and desperate to reveal the culprits behind the conspiracy before it's too late, Swagger sets into motion a revenge plan that will send shockwaves rippling to some of the most powerful, and corrupt, leaders in the free world. Danny Glover, Rhona Mitra, and Ned Beatty co-star in this conspiracy-driven action thriller that asks what it truly means to serve one's country. (all movie guide)

Just got back from seeing this and decided to go ahead and write it up since it wouldn't take too much effort on my part because this is an easy one. When it comes to action movies, I'm super easy to please because I'm very good at 'suspension of disbelief,' but that's why I go to movies - entertainment. If I wanted harsh reality mixed with acting, costly sets and special effects, I'd watch C-SPAN or just wait for a Presidential Address. I watch movies to have fun and if there is realistic subject matter involved (Saving Private Ryan, Good Night,and Good Luck - for example) I'm already aware of it and that's part of why I'm there, but my main reason for being there is simply to be entertained. The only thing I ask of a movie is to not completely insult my intelligence. A few liberties, here and there, are acceptable, but don't get carried away. (And I'm only referring to action movies - not something like Pee Wee's Big Adventure, which falls under a completely different set of rules) Tell a decent story, have believable action (no visible wires) and don't over/under think it or spend too much time on either aspect and I'll be pretty much alright with it. Unless, of course, the acting sucks but, then again, I've seen several movies where the acting wasn't that good but the action more than made up for it - so, that can be kind of a tough call.

Anyway (enough rambling), I had a really good time seeing Shooter. Mark Wahlberg was a really good choice for the lead because he was able to be convincing as the character but not over-the-top action hero super bad-ass kind of guy. Granted, the director probably had a lot to with that, but, either way, I thought Wahlberg was good. The other good part was the bad guys. They were exactly the kind of polished but slimy, smart but overconfident types that you can't wait to see get what's coming to them because of all the harm they've caused without so much as a second thought.

Some people might complain that the movie is formulaic but, in this case, that's not such a bad thing. My point is: The action was good - I laughed out loud and had an overall good time for two solid hours. That's what it's all about.