Seen: April 21st, 2007
Format: Theater
Rating: 6
The military loans out a soldier and the mercenary bastards don't treat him right. He abandons the world. He's called back on a mission to really serve his country. You've seen Shooter before. But that's not a bad thing. The song may be the same, but the singers are different, and the cover is worth a shot.
Plus I like looking at both Rhona Mitra and Kate Mara.
What else to say really? You'll learn something about snipers. I'd be surprised if they didn't hire a consultant for that aspect of the film as it felt real enough.
The rest of it is mostly fantasy. Our hero is brave and resourceful, clever and compassionate. He share shis beer with his dog, how can we not relate? The explosions are big, the conspiracy deep, the cat and mouse tense and dramatic. But the motivations are simple and I guess that deep down we really wish that someone was there for us to right the wrongs, to take care of business and help Justice with her scales.
The performances are all passable. This is a bit fantastic, so some are over the top, as we'd expect. There's no real depth of character here, with the possible exception of Memphis, played by Michael Peña. Everyone one is a bit of a caricature, but really it's what happens that's interesting, not who it happens to.
There are oblique political digs, they're hard to take too seriously, given the context in which it's delivered. I wonder how Bob Lee feels about gun control?
All in all, standard fare. Nothing to alert the Academy about, but a pleasant enough diversion, if you like military thrillers.
The Good: Basic revenge with a patriotic flavor
The Bad: Capitalism
The Ugly: The death penalty
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