"Shooter" is a tale about a patriot who gets used & abused by the government that he swore allegiance to. Even worse, they do nasty things to his dog. It's the kind of movie that makes you want to run off to Canada, not because you hate your country but because you hate the goons who are running it. But don't pack your hockey stick just yet because the story provides enough satisfying turns to keep things entertaining rather than depressing.
"Bob Lee Swagger" (Mark Wahlberg) is an Army sniper, one of the best, who is given the assignment of planning--but not executing--an assassination. That's all I'll say about the plot because the fun part is riding all the twists & turns that follow. Danny Glover plays his government liaison while at the top is Ned Beatty playing a questionable senator.
What follows is an action packed political conspiracy thriller along the lines of a Tom Clancy story ("Clear and Present Danger", "Patriot Games") but with the noticeable difference that our hero Bob is a total badass, sort of like a dash of "First Blood". And that's what makes this movie really fun when he starts to take things on the offensive.
My only criticism is, as I implied in my title, a few preposterous things happen so be prepared. You know, stuff like when a person gets shot multiple times but is still able to swim across the Delaware River. (I mean bullets, sure, but all that Jersey waste'll kill ya faster than battery acid.) But if you can go along for the ride without raising too many eyebrows, this flick will definitely keep you riveted from start to finish. Bonus points for being shot in Philadelphia, the perfect city for a story like this.
