Sniper: G.R.I.T.

As part of the Sniper franchise this movie is likely the worst of them all. It is more of a parody than a Sniper movie. If this wasn't part of the franchise I might have rated this higher. It is silly, light hearted and whimsical. It's more of a comedy than an action movie. So it's been a downhill trend of the franchise from intense drama/action to silly comedy. The script is mediocre and the acting is passable. The character interaction is well done. It generates most of the humor. Lady Death is recast so that specific character dynamic is different. It's a watchable movie that has entertainment value but a total pendulum swing from the origins of the franchise.

"Sniper Glint" starts with a title that sets the expectation of an intense, realistic military film centered around sniping tactics and the precision involved in long-range shooting. However, as the film progresses, it becomes increasingly evident that it falls short in terms of accuracy and technical realism. If you're someone who enjoys military movies with attention to detail, this film might feel a bit disappointing. The portrayal of sniper shots, adjustments to scopes, firing distances, and even the sound dynamics of the shots and their delay seem to be poorly executed, leaving viewers with a sense of disbelief.

Initially, one might wonder if the filmmakers intended these inaccuracies as part of a satirical or comedic approach. However, the film does not seem to embrace humor in any way, nor does it appear to use sarcasm effectively. Instead, it seems like a missed opportunity, where the technical errors detract from the tension that a film about sniping should ideally create. If the filmmakers were going for realism or intense drama, the inaccuracies feel jarring. But if they had intended to make a parody, they didn't lean into the comedy enough to make it noticeable or engaging.

Moreover, the choice of name for the main character, particularly the protagonist, feels simplistic and uninspired.

The performances of the actors are generally good, and they seem to do their best. However, it's clear that even the strongest performances can't fully salvage the film when the plot and direction lack coherence.

Without giving away spoilers, the ending is another point of contention. It's the kind of conclusion that leaves viewers scratching their heads, wondering "Why now?" It feels abrupt and disconnected from the rest of the film. It almost seems as though the film's conclusion was hastily tacked on, lacking the necessary emotional payoff or narrative closure to leave a lasting impression.

Have they really run out of ideas? From the opening scenes of an overweight cult leader with a star on his forehead that makes for the perfect bullseye, the cheap James Bond garage or batcave hidden in the back of a Chinese restaurant after the first first 10 minutes, it does not really improve.

It is like an awkward teenager trying to be funny and cool at the same time, It doesn't work. The comedy is forced and everybody can figure out what is going to happen next 5 minutes before it does, like we know the tracking device is not in the phones. The actor s do a fair job with what they have but the writing missed the whole Target.

This was a pleasant surprise, all things considered.

Because the last Sniper movie - Rogue Mission - was so bad that even me, a huge, unapologetic fan of every other entry in the long-running franchise (this is the tenth installment, which is hard to believe), was thinking that, if this was the best they could manage, it should be the last. End it, and leave us with good memories of fun B-grade (in a good way) action films about guys named Beckett!

Thankfully, it wasn't the last one, because Sniper: G. R. I. T. is a welcome return to form. And aren't I happy about it?

If you enjoyed any of the previous Chad Michael Collins films, aside from Rogue Mission, of course, then you'll probably agree.

I realised very early on that everything is better here: the acting, the action, the script, which went in a different direction to what I expected after the first few minutes.

The cast look energised - especially Dennis Haysbert, who is probably seen more in this movie than any other Sniper film he has appeared in - as if looking to provide a mea culpa for their collectively shocking last effort. And, they do.

Is it believable? No. Is it violent escapism action fun? Yes. If this is the standard going forward, I hope there are plenty more Sniper movies to come.

What happened to this franchise? It's hard to believe the Sniper franchise has spanned over 31 years with 10 movies but the last two are terrible. I like the cast but the execution, the dialogue and the unfunny jokes ruined this one, just like the previous one. It's hardly about sniping anymore and this one seems to be heavily inspired by videogames like Hitman and Sniper Ghost Warrior and the guards even act like NPC in those games. Even the introduction of the targets are exactly like I have seen in those mentioned games. I mean the action is fine but a lot of scenes are just dumb and ridiculous. If they decide to make another one, please return to your roots.