Shooter (2007/I)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writers (WGA):

Jonathan Lemkin (screenplay)
Stephen Hunter (novel)

Release Date:

23 March 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Yesterday was about honor. Today is about justice.

Plot:

A marksman living in exile is coaxed back into action after learning of a plot to kill the president. Ultimately double-crossed and framed for the attempt, he goes on the run to track the real killer and find out who exactly set him up, and why.

Plot Keywords:

President | Framed | Marksman | Colonel | Presidential Assassination

Cast

Mark Wahlberg	...	Bob Lee Swagger
Michael Peña	...	Nick Memphis
Danny Glover	...	Colonel Isaac Johnson
Kate Mara	...	Sarah Fenn
Elias Koteas	...	Jack Payne
Rhona Mitra	...	Alourdes Galindo
Jonathan Walker	...	Louis Dobbler
Justin Louis	...	Howard Purnell
Tate Donovan	...	Russ Turner
Rade Serbedzija	...	Michael Sandor (as Rade Sherbedgia)
Alan C. Peterson	...	Officer Stanley Timmons
Ned Beatty	...	Senator Charles F. Meachum
Lane Garrison	...	Donnie Fenn
Zak Santiago	...	Senior Agent
Michael-Ann Connor	...	Junior Agent

MPAA:

Rated R for strong graphic violence and some language.

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 | Netherlands:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | Finland:K-15 | USA:R (certificate #43368) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Malaysia:18SG | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Argentina:16 | Germany:18 | Denmark:15 | Sweden:15 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Japan:PG-12 | France:U | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Canada:18A | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | India:A

Filming Locations:

Ashcroft, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

According to the movie's script doctor William Goldman, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Harrison Ford passed on the movie. These men would have fit the literary Bob Lee Swagger's age a bit more closely than 'Mark Wahlberg' (born in 1971); Stephen Hunter introduced Swagger as a Vietnam veteran in a 1993 novel taking place in 1992. However, to accommodate Wahlberg's age, this film has Swagger active in Africa in the 1990's instead of Vietnam in the 1970's.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The pipeline shown at the beginning of the movie clearly shows "head pipes" on the support structures on either side of the pipeline. These prevent permafrost from melting from the frictional heating of flowing oil. Permafrost heaving is not a major concern of Ethiopian pipeline builders.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Donnie Fenn: Movement. Two men. Approximately... forty goats.
Bob Lee Swagger: They're not on anybody's side. We don't have to shoot them.

Movie Connections:

References "Dr. Phil" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Nasty Letter

Good Action Movie

I'm not going to delve into the story of the film nor am I going to pick over every single aspect of it. All I want to say is that Shooter is a good action movie. The performances are solid, and the plot makes sense. But most of all, the movie maintains an intensity throughout. If I had to compare it to another movie, it would probably be Rambo. In fact, Shooter is kind of like a liberal's version of that movie. I was thoroughly entertained and I left the theater satisfied. If you're looking for a deep flick, go watch something else. But if you're looking for a cool action movie to watch on Saturday night, Shooter is a good choice.