Sniper 2

Okay, let's see if I got this straight...the assassination target is a Serbian general attacking Muslim villages, but the cars all have Hungarian plates, and the locals all speak Hungarian, not any Slavic language. Okay, we'll suspend our disbelief that there are any Muslim villages in Hungary. But if Serbia were attacking Hungary, a NATO member, the response of the West would be something more than sending over a couple of guys who look like anything but Eastern Europeans. NATO is a mutual defense pact that comes to the defense of any member (well, NATO gets involved with other adventures, too, but that's a different debate).

So we find out that there are opposition leaders being held without charges in prison. Wonder whether the European Union knew about this when it invited Hungary to be a candidate for EU membership?

In any case, before Hungary joins the EU, it'll definitely have to do something about its product safety standards, particularly the tendency of every vehicle to explode into an enormous fireball when crashed, shot, bumped, or if its doors are slammed too hard. How big a fireball would an exploding Trabant be able to produce anyway, with its feeble East German two-stroke engine that's comparable to a lawnmower?

Did anyone notice that our heroes were dropped off by a helicopter marked "SFOR", but picked up by an unmarked helicopter? One might assume there was an enormous diplomatic outcry when the Bosnia-based UN Stabilization Force (SFOR) exceeded its mandate by carrying out a mission that took it over Croatian or Serbian territory and into Hungary, so when they made the trip again, SFOR removed all the identifying details. Either that or the film's continuity person fell asleep on the job.

And what was up with the heroes' desperate dash for "the border"? If they were in Hungary, they were safe. If they were dashing for the Croatian or Romanian borders, they'd be safe there too. But since they were in a place where villages were being attacked by Serbia, they were presumably close to the Serbian border. Why on earth would they want to reach the Serbian border? Shouldn't they be sitting tight, safe in Hungary, waiting for the NATO airstrikes to end the little Serbian incursion into Hungary?

And who were the bad guys, anyway? Invading Serbian troops who can somehow move freely around the streets of Hungarian cities, commandeering police cars without resistance, conducting shootouts on the street without any protest from Hungarians?

If anyone out there considering making "Sniper 3," please pick up a world atlas and read a few newspapers before you write the script!

I liked the first "Sniper" movie and especially liked Becker (played by Tom Berenger). He's a solemn and sometimes grumpy sniper who bickers and argues (but also looks after) anyone he's partnered with on a mission. I saw the original film as more of a `character study' of this solitary Becker character, and was not disappointed that the sequel was mostly a character study as well. Though of course there is plenty of action and suspense as well!

"Sniper 2" re-works the same formula as the first film, but with some differences. Becker is a little older, but he's still grumpy (but protective) as ever. The guy he's partnered up with in this film is different than the somewhat green and annoying Billy Zane character in the first film. I liked this new guy pretty well.

And I liked seeing Becker again. I'd grown fond of Becker in the first film, and I thought the sequel held up well. Sure, it could have been better, but really, it was not bad at all. It's a solid film--not earth-shatteringly great, but if you enjoyed the way the first movie went, and especially enjoyed the characters, then you'll like this film.

Finally, a sequel that's much better than the original.

I can't understand why this only got five stars. maybe there aren't enough vehicles crashing and bursting into flames, so it doesn't appeal to those who like mindless action flicks.

This movie definitely has a B-movie "look" to it, and I can't explain what that means. It's just dark, or something. I'd probably blame it on the PD, though that's a guess.

Regardless, the screenplay is decent, the acting is excellent, and the direction / editing is strong, non-boring, and lacking in most of the typical cliches that you would expect from this genre. This is not a classic, not something I want to watch more than once, but a totally engaging and entertaining action flick that didn't once insult my intelligence.

I give it a solid seven stars.

Direct-to-video sequel almost 10 years after the original is buoyed by a strong performance from Tom Berenger, returning as the titular sniper, and solid action direction form Craig R. Baxley, who directed the underrated "I Come in Peace." Berenger's Marine sniper character is now retired, but is called back for a CIA covert op and is once again saddled with a young know-it-all sniper, this time Bokeem Woodbine instead of Billy Zane. As you might expect, the mission ends up being more than Berenger bargained for, but it's nothing all that clever or interesting. As with the first film, the story is the weak point, though this film was minus the first film's focus on stealth and suspense and instead focuses on standard action film pyrotechnics and mayhem, which isn't bad but isn't as unique as the first film. The extended sequence in the original film of Berenger and Zane getting into position to take out a target was unique and a lot of fun. Overall, "Sniper 2" isn't terrible, but it's nothing to go out of your way to watch. Gary Chang provided the film's score.

I found this movie well thought out and for the most part well executed. However, it most glaring flaw was with its technical aspects. In the scene, where the underground partisan, Sophia, brings Sgt. Beckett beneath a tavern, to a store of WWII arms. Sgt. Beckett picks up a rifle and calling it a German 8mm Mauser. But in reality it is a Russian 7.62 Mosin Nagant, to which he adds the proper Russian sniper scope and mount. I was very surprised at this and wonder who was at fault. But otherwise, I felt this film is another success for Tom Berenger.