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‘Shooter’ hits the mark

Mac Olsen
for Spotlight

Rated 18A by Canadian Home Video Rating; 2 hours, 5 minutes; $19.99 for single-disc DVD edition (reviewed) and $24.49 for Blu-ray at www.amazon.ca

Conspiracy and patriotism clash in director Antoine Fuqua’s 2007 movie, ‘Shooter’, offering a fresh take for the action genre.

The movie stars Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger, a former U.S. Marine Corps scout sniper; Michael Peña as FBI Agent Nick Memphis, Danny Glover as Colonel Isaac Johnson and Kate Mara as Sarah Fenn.

The movie opens with Swagger and Lance Corporal Donnie Fern (Lane Garrison) assigned to cover a group of U.S. soldiers making their exit from Ethiopia. They soon battle for their lives and Fern dies. Shattered by the loss of his friend and taking the blame for his death, Swagger retires and moves to the western U.S.

Three years later, Johnson asks him to provide insights into a presidential assassination attempt. It’s an assignment Swagger doesn’t want, but Johnson latches on to his sense of patriotism and convinces him to join his team.

All roads lead to Philadelphia, where the president is holding a joint news conference with Archbishop Desmond Mutumbo (Dean McKenzie) of Ethiopia. Swagger senses when the moment arrives to take down the assassin and tells Johnson’s men to do so, but it’s a double-cross.

It’s not the president, but Mutumbo who receives a head shot.

Simultaneously, a corrupt cop shoots Swagger, forcing him to crash through a window and flee. Memphis is doing perimeter duty and gets a call about Swagger, who subdues him and pleads his innocence.

Swagger is able to get away and meets Sarah Fenn, who treats his injuries. Later, he has her give Memphis some information about Johnson’s operation.

Johnson’s men kidnap Memphis for interrogation and plan to make it look like he committed suicide, but Swagger arrives just in time to save him. Later, Swagger trains Memphis in sniper tactics and explosives.

Their investigation leads them to Virginia to track down someone with knowledge about Mutumbo and what happened in Ethiopia. Swagger is shocked about what he learns, propelling him into a climactic confrontation with Johnson to clear his name.

There are many things to recommend, including Wahlberg’s performance. He convincingly portrays the capabilities and mindset of a sniper. He also has good chemistry with Kate Mara, especially in the scene where she tells him the death of his friend, her husband, is not his to bear.

He and Peña also have good chemistry, playing off each other in comedic fashion.

Glover is good as the corrupt military officer who manipulates others to do his bidding.

Overall, ‘Shooter’ deserves four stars out of five for great action sequences and a mostly realistic portrayal of sniper operations.