Shooter
DVD Released 2007
Runtime: Approximately 124 minutes
Seems like 150 minutes
aaaa out of 7 stars

Let me preface this review by telling you I never liked the Rambo movies. I always thought the vigilante shoot-em-up movies over-simplified things. Good vs bad, violence solves all problems, and no wrong goes unavenged. I'm sorry, but life can be unfair, and no amount of fighting back can change that.

That being said, Shooter is OK, even if it is a Rambo rip-off. Lots of fun action, good plot twists, and pretty girls. It's a great way to hate the crooks in the government without really having to do anything about them. The soundtrack doesn't detract from the movie, in fact it actually adds suspense in a few key scene. The explosions were great, the chases believable. The acting was fine, if you like stereotypes, but the dialogue was lame and cliche ridden.

Mark Wahlberg portrays the latest uber-human with incredible shooting and survival skills. No real complexity or back story, just a military machine. Danny Glover is a government crook who whispers instead of talks. This is one of his weakest roles I've seen in a long time.

Except for the first plot twist, the movie is predictable. There's the classic thriller scene of the bad guy stalking the underwear clad girl, all alone in her bedroom. There's the classic plea for patriotism. And there's the classic conspiracy. It was a classic movie from a template.

Don't bother watching this if you want to expand your mind. If you just want to escape a little, sit back and watch the explosions!