SHOOTER
DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 125 minutes, feature audio commentary, deleted scenes, 2 featurettes
VIDEO: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)
AUDIO: English, French, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English
STUDIO: Paramount Pictures/ Di Bonaventura Pictures
RELEASE DATE: 6-26-2007

SHOOTER soars with it's action. It may be slow in places, but the slow moments help build up the action when it comes. It is your typical shoot the bad guys dead conspiracy film mixed in with a few good actors (Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Elias Kooteas wanting to be a bad guy so badly, Danny Glover in need of another Lethal Weapon film, Ned Beatty who is still alive, Kate Mara for the cut factor, and drop dead sexy Rhona Mitra). SHOOTER takes no prisoners no matter who is doing the killing (good guys and bad guys).

Wahlberg is former Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger who is contacted to stop a Presidental assassination attempt only to be framed for the assassination of the Archbishop from Ethopia. He races to prove his innonence and get the guys who framed him including a corrupt Senator from Montana (that makes me chuckle since I live in Montana and some of the politicians here don't make some of the best choices), a couple of mean bastards (Elias Koteas and Danny Glover) and an ex-sniper (Rade Sherbedgia). The only help he has are a rookie FBI agent (Michael Pena) and his dead spotter's girl (Kate Mara). The rookie agent does get help from another agent (Rhona Mitra). SHOOTER does hold up on repeat viewings. The conspiracy angle and the current climate of power (as the powerful will do anything to get the oil) make the film very believable and scary.

SPECIAL FEATURES: I didn't have time to listen to the audio commentary by Director Antoine Fuqua. 7 interesting deleted scenes (12 minutes in total) are featured- I love the FNG scene the best (yet everything else is worth wATCHING). Two featurettes: SRUVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: THE MAKING OF SHOOTER (21 minutes of behind-the-scenes stuff and interviews) and INDEPENDENCE HALL (the military tech advisor talks while on location at Independence Hall) round out the extras in addition to previews for othe rParamount releases (BLACK SNAKE MOAN, ZODIAC). Too bad the theatrical trailer for SHOOTER wasn't included.

FINAL ANALYSIS: SHOOTER has great action scenes that will appeal to any action film fan and holds up for multiple viewings. Deleted scenes are also worth watching.

this DVD Review is (c)6-28-2007 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. Send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com