User reviews

Though the plot may be familiar (mistrustful pair teamed together to go on a dangerous assignment), the premise of having two snipers as the protagonists is interesting. The film builds on this by offering an insight into the psychological effects of this kind of warfare, but ultimately this degenerates into a yarn. One with a particularly limp ending at that.

Berenger is convincing in his portrayal of a hardened, veteran sniper, completely impassive in what he does. Zane, however, doesn't really pull off his role as an Olympic medal winning shooter who has to face his first live kill. The pairing never truly gels, which is a shame as it's their relationship that's important over the actual plot.

The film looks great, largely set deep in the Panamanian jungle. There are some exciting moments, cool camera tricks and even some genuine tension. It's just a pity it didn't hold together better.

****SPOILERS**** The film "Sniper" is undoubtedly based on the exploits of legendary US Marine sniper Carlos "Gunny" Hathcock. The unassuming soft-spoken Mister Rogers look-alike who ran up a score of as much as 300 confirmed and unconfirmed Vietcong and North Vietnamese military kills during his two tours in "Nam".Which shows just how deadly and effective a trained military sniper really is.

Tom Berenger is cool clam and deadly as Sgt.Thomas Beckett who's at the end of his career as a top US Marine sniper but who later in the movie realizes that a life as a civilian will be pointless. Since there's nothing outside for him to do with his skills that he learned in the US Marines unless he decides to become a mob hit-man. Backett reluctantly accepts his fate as a lifetime professional killer for his country.

The story of the film "Sniper" is focused on Sgt.Beckett with the assistance of former sharp shooting silver medalist and US government agent Richard Miller, Billy Zane, being sent deep inside the Panamanian jungle. The two snipers are to take out rebel General Miguel Alveraze, Frederick Miraglittoa, and Colombian drug king-pin Raul Ochoa, Carlos Alveraze, who's supporting him in a planned a military take-over of the country.

We see earlier in the movie Sgt. Beckett scope and take out a rebel leader which I feel was the best scene in "Sniper". For it shows step by step how Sgt. Beckett with the help of his spotter Cpt. Papich, Aden Young, does his job. There's also a sub-plot that was later aborted in the movie about a rebel sniper DeSilva, Eward Wiley, who was stalking Beckett and who later killed Papich as they were both waiting to be lifted out of the jungle by a military helicopter. You would have thought that a deadly cat and mouse was being played out between the two that would culminate when the movie ended but Sgt. Beckett had no trouble at all in dispatching DeSilva early in the film by using an unsuspecting Miller as bait.

What hurt the movie the most was ironically the last fifteen or so minutes when the story went from a one shot one kill sniper movie to a Rambo-like ending with Sgt. Beckett and Agent Miller fighting off an entire battalion of rebels with bullets flying as thick as a London fog.

"Sniper" is still well worth watching for the fact that it tells the story about a person who until now has not really been glamorized in war movies: A solitary killer who kills with the precision and skill of a master diamond cutter or accomplished neurosurgeon and who does it in total secrecy.

Despite some negative comments this film has garnered in the IMDb pages, it's still worth a look as this is a story about survival and camaraderie between two different men with different mentalities while in a difficult mission in the Panamanian jungle.

Peruvian director Luis Llosa takes us along to watch this thriller set in Panama. The film has some good moments as Beckett, the veteran marine, takes a newly arrived man, recently sent to try to eliminate a notorious drug cartel head and the corrupt army general who might be the next president of the country. The only problem, Miller, has no experience in what he has been entrusted to achieve.

Miller, the arrogant newly arrived man to the jungle and to the guerrilla warfare between the military and drug lords against the infiltrated American intelligence men, learns a valuable lesson from Beckett. What looks good in theory, is irrelevant in the jungle.

Tom Berenger, is an actor who doesn't register much, as he proves in this movie, but in the context of the movie, he is right as a man of a few words. Billy Zane playing Miller does what he can with a role that doesn't afford him any glory until the crucial end.

For lovers of action film, "Sniper" offers an 112 minutes of action that with a bit of trimming would have made a more satisfying movie.

A jungle setting is the backdrop here as the "Heroes", one a lifer snipe with 300 confirmed kills and the other is a rookie with a fetish for bulls eye targets and not filthy foreign flesh. This, of course, sets off a chain reaction of a love-hate relationship in the middle of a deadly assassination assault.

Both characters have moments of believability with Tom Berenger almost always assuring, but is haunted by his key-chain mementos of fallen fellow soldiers. Billy Zane is convincing as a whiny, reluctant participant that enters into a "Baptism of Fire" and becomes a convert.

This is a somewhat inconsistent and incoherent insight into the mind and soul of the Military's role in global affairs and the personnel it trains and positions in ambiguous assignments where the motivations of the soldiers are "ours is not to wonder why...".

Political and moral considerations aside, this can be enjoyed by the action and military fans that want their fiction to rely on psychology as much as patriotism. It is an engaging outing, if dense and heavy handed at times.

As a long time Federal Agent and gunnnut I thought it was great. The high light was when the high level government officials called in Zane and told him he would be sent to a jungle, would kill an extremely dangerous drug dealer, he may be killed in the process and they would make Zane (drum roll please)(Tah-Dah!) a GS-9. At this point I burst out laughing. Nobody else said a word. This was the funniest thing I ever heard. I was a GS-11 at the time. This is just like the Federal Government. Officials chose an employee for the "fast track" (usually a brown noser/ass kisser) who they want to rise in the ranks over others more qualified. They team this "fast track" person with an experienced, well qualified, person who will really do the work. The goal being the high officials get the credit along with the "fast track" and the experienced person will get shafted. I liked the movie except for rifle scope with moving lights inside. I am a shooter and I have never seen a scope like this one. However, I did like how the experienced sniper dressed and acted. This was accurate as far as I understand and this is how real snipers really operate.

Two snipers travel deep in the jungles in search for their targets; a slimy South American drug-lord and a prominent general.

Moderately successful at building a brooding atmosphere, Sniper is by most accounts a very solid thriller, taking it's time, establishing it's characters and their plight and climaxing in some good action sequences. Director Llosa isn't always successful at maintaining the sombre mood and could have tightened the story somewhat; some detours here don't add up to much. But this film is far better than his Stallone/Stone travesty The Specialist.

Billy Zane, usually incredibly tiresome, does surprisingly well as the inexperienced Sniper teamed up with veteran Berenger. As for Berenger this film proved to be his last good big budget Hollywood venture. He can do these kind of roles in his sleep and he's very convincing here, reprising the role twice more in direct to DVD sequels.

This was huuuuugely favorite movie of a buddy of mine when we were kids. I hadn't seen it in probably that amount of time but found it on the streams the other night.

This movie definitely made "bullet time" a thing in movies and video games.

Tom is great in this. He's kinda typecast in this roll but he does it well. Also Billy is really underrated in it as well. A young hot shot that hasn't had much real world experience with the grizzled old veteran who knows everything. You're not sure if you like Zane's character or not but he pulls it off really well.

The movie isn't overly cliche and that's refreshing considering the time period. I was scared it would have aged poorly but it's still really good. Heck I might appreciate it now more than I did back then.

I saw this already about 4 year ago, and liked it a lot better back then.

It's still quite an entertaining watch though, cause snipers are cool (and you know it!). The acting is lame however, Zane is terrible and Berenger doesn't do a lot better. It's like a buddy-sniper movie in the jungle. People die, there's a dispute between the snipers, the old trainee suddenly shows up, they talk about the emotions of killing and how it changes you. O yeah there's also some sniper action, not on a realistic level compared to other movies, but it's OK. It's really the kind of action movie you really love as a kid and later on still like, not because it's good, but because it makes you feel nostalgic.

Sniper is the kind of film you find on the USA Network. The writer was probably well-intentioned, but they couldn't scrape up more than twenty dollars to hire decent talent or equipment.

We follow Billy Zane, who I think of as the flamboyant version of Vin Diesel, into the jungles to help Tom Berenger hunt a drug lord and some rebel factions. Zane is the higher rank, but he's just a guy in a suit. Berenger has been eating and breathing sniping and jungle love for some time now and doesn't need Zane to watch him.

The film works if you like watching two guys in the jungle shooting at things. Because mostly that's all you're going to see. But don't be fooled: this isn't Rambo, the action isn't as intense. Nor is the story as interesting or the acting as fun to watch (which is weird, since you'd think Stallone would be easy to top).

If I had to say something nice about this film, I'd say the scenery was very good. Best jungle I've seen since "Predator". Not that I was really hoping to see many movies with really nice jungles.

I can't see why anyone would buy this or even rent it, but maybe you're into the whole military in the jungle genre. You're a rare breed if you are, but this might be your cup of Colombian coffee.

I've heard people who say this movie is dull dull dull. I don't think they were watching the right movie. This isn't the prototypical action movie, thank God.

This is a psychological drama about the rookie and his mentor that just happens to be about killing people. In this way it works extremely well, with terrific performances from Berenger and Zane (who doesn't sleepwalk through the movie like he has in other roles - he actually looks like he's acting).

I was disappointed with the action towards the end - a lot of it didn't make much sense and was unsatisfying given the buildup from the rest of the movie. But watch Zane's face as he panics, alone, while Berenger does the dirty work.

Generic story, but the end of film warrants checking this out. The Billy Zane's character is ridiculous and being a sniper who struggles to shoot anyone is a bizarre characteristic to give him. The film is very typical and cliche riddled, nothing overly special. I watched this a lot when I was younger and sadly this fails to meet those easy expectations. Good final third saves an otherwise dull storyline.

Another bland buddy film, this one violent versus comical. A pro sniper (Berenger) is teamed up with a rookie (Zane) who doubts his master's choices.

Screenplay misguides the film, and the direction style is weak and the backgrounds (jungles, rivers, plush landscapes) all look fake. Had me on the edge of my seat - waiting to jump up and leave. Very boring.

2/5 stars -

John Ulmer

Deep in the jungles of South America...lies a professional army veteran. A pro with firearms, this sniper aims using deadly efficiency and he eliminates his targets in a silent, slick manner. Familiar with the territory, proficient in both armed and unarmed forms of combat, this soldier, fluent in both English and his native Spanish is a man who shoots first, and asks questions later. His covert missions are usually top secret...and he works alone too. This time though, he has company.

For it is imperative that this new assignment be accomplished as quickly and stealthily as possible... Or else...all hell will break loose in a whirlwind of fury...

Tom Berenger is an experienced, suicidal marine who has acclimatized himself to handling all forms of jeopardy. Newcomer Billy Zane is an amateurish tyro...who cannot make his first kill. In the vast jungle-lands of Panama, the two snipers are assigned to assassinate a Colombian druglord who has the potential of gaining power in the government. The two men arrive only to find themselves caught in a maelstrom of vehemence. The two encounter conflicts with their enemies...and eventually each other... The pressure is on!

SNIPER is a mediocre motion picture. This film tries to be more of a psychological drama than an action thriller. True, there are lots of macho philosophizing; slow motion bullets flying at close range; bold, tough guy effrontery, and an almost all male cast with no female leads. What makes SNIPER more unique though is that this movie has better character angles than expected. Billy Zane, for one, actually shows the right stuff in this movie. Zane does a superb job portraying a rookie sniper with a conscious...and a short fuse. He demonstrates the vulnerability, the problems, and the integrity of a soldier coping with the focus of his mission...and the nature of his deeds. Berenger does a fine job also, delineating a cocky, over-the-top Sergeant with an itchy finger constantly on the trigger. The two leads have created a couple of emotionally ambivalent characters (although fabricated in a banal manner) who must deal with their purpose...and each other's weaknesses.

Excellent performances by Tom Berenger and a young, show-stealing Billy Zane lift SNIPER from turning into a complete fiasco. Consequently though, in spite of some well executed action scenes and an inkling of tension permeating throughout the movie, SNIPER is surprisingly tepid in the adventure genre. The technically well-staged action scenes for example are somewhat unpolished and they lack finesse. The photography is also swift; just the rest of the movie, including character development doesn't really come close to swiftness.

This ambitious character study just misses the mark. The nuances of character are there, but the film as a whole is no different from most other action pictures. Unfortunately, the pace in SNIPER is extremely vapid, with more screen time spent on characters talking and running around rather than generating any real action.

In spite of the faults evidently gathered in SNIPER, this flick is a tolerable action movie. The action isn't really exhilarating, and the thrills in SNIPER are left to be desired for. Still, Billy Zane and Tom Berenger salvage this film from transforming into a complete mess. They work well together and though the plot is itself contrived, and these two characters are atrociously full of clichés, the two main leads do add credibility to their parts. Director Luis Llosa (ANACONDA, THE SPECIALIST) has designed a dubious, but OK, just not great film. If you are not demanding a high caliber thriller, then you'll find this motion picture to be serviceable.

RATING: ** out of ****.

This is definitely Tom Berenger's signature film, he is perfect for this role and also Billy Zane did his job well in this film.

The best thing about this film is it's simplicity just like predator, the jungle and well chosen music works perfectly with this film adding to the suspense. This is a generally speaking (in a non-sexist way) truly a guy film, I remember watching this with my girlfriend and I am sure she was counting the squares on the carpet after five minutes so be careful who you watch it with. I have watched this film many times and it goes on "the keeps" shelf of my DVD collection, awesome film.

Unfortunately I can't say the same for the sniper films that come after this but they are watchable.

I sat down in 2022 to watch the 1993 action thriller "Sniper" again for about the fourth or fifth time since it was initially released, given I have just sat through the less than mediocre 2022 addition to the franchise "Sniper: Rogue Mission". So I wanted to return to the original movie and watch something proper again.

And I will say that writers Michael Frost Beckner and Crash Leyland managed to put together a wholesome and entertaining storyline 29 years ago. And it is definitely a movie that still holds up today and proves every bit as enjoyable now as it did back in the day. So thumbs up to the writers for that accomplishment.

Director Luis Llosa managed to put the script to life on the screen in a very enjoyable manner, and it feels like you are right there along side Beckett (played by Tom Berenger) and Miller (played by Billy Zane) as they trek through the jungle in order to get to their appointed target.

If you haven't already seen the 1993 action thriller "Sniper", and if you get the chance to do so, then you most certainly should do that. It is a very entertaining movie. And if you enjoy warfare movies, then this is something I warmly recommend.

My rating of "Sniper" lands on a seven out of ten stars.

This movie has generated about 27 sequels and they all suck! This movie though is a pretty good effort.

Sets up a solid enough story that is carried by the old dog, new dog dynamic between the 2 snipers.

Possibly Berenger's last good movie!

Inspired by the exploits of a real-life sniper named Carlos Hathcock, "Sniper" is a fairly low-octane action thriller, albeit with some decent moments. Tom Berenger is Thomas Beckett, a top Marine Corps marksman with 74 confirmed kills. He's sent into the Panamanian jungle by his senior officer (a much too briefly seen J. T. Walsh) to eliminate Miguel Alvarez (Frederick Miragliotta), a rebel general, and Raul Ochoa (Carlos Alvarez), the drug lord who is bankrolling Alvarez' political campaign. The person assigned to be Becketts' spotter is Richard Miller (Billy Zane), a civilian who also happens to be a good marksman.

Much of this movie centers on the sometimes antagonistic relationship between Beckett and Miller, and this material is only so-so, despite some palpable odd-couple chemistry between Berenger & Zane. The two stars are fine, and are mostly supported by unfamiliar faces / non-"name" actors; that said, Kenneth Radley is malevolent fun as an American known as El Cirujano, or "The Surgeon", because of his delight in sadistically torturing people. Also involved is a mercenary named DeSilva (Edward Wiley), who ghosts Beckett practically every time he comes to this part of the world; he was responsible for the death of Becketts' previous spotter (Aden Young) in the movies' opening sequence.

The action in "Sniper" is certainly adequate, if not exemplary, with director Luis Llosa ("The Specialist", "Anaconda") likewise not really succeeding at making suspense sequences really come alive, either. The main element that "Sniper" boasts are its amusing slow-motion bullet trajectories. At the very least, "Sniper" benefits from being filmed far from any Hollywood studio backlot; it was filmed partly in Panama, but mostly in areas of Queensland, Australia.

The premise certainly has had staying power, in any event; *seven* sequels, most of them direct-to-video, have followed so far.

Six out of 10.

The film seems to try to be too many things at once, has a lack lustre plot and has not aged well. It often comes off as ridiculous as Rambo but you can tell the director, Llosa it is trying to evoke serious emotions. Everyone displays dry performances and even though Berenger was the highlight of the cast, he still seems to be partially coasting through the film which is disappointing considering he was fantastic in Platoon only several years prior. The plot has a very typical "mission" which I would not critique by itself but there is no real climax and you will probably feel unfulfilled by the end. Finally, the many decisions by the director like the in flight bullet effects, Scope point of views and slow motion hits and deaths along with everything touched on earlier make it painfully cheesy and something that you would expect in a much older movie considering what else was already done in the genre and what was being put out in 1993. Ultimately I went in expecting a different type of military movie based on Berenger's previous performances. Even though it would not be on my list of recommendations, if you go in with a hankering for mindless action and cheese, you will probably be entertained enough.

This was a film that was recommended to me by my sister. I'm guessing she sought it out due to it having a young Billy Zane. I'll be honest, I feel like I may have heard of this film or one of its many direct to video sequels, but it would be one that I would avoid. Growing up this would be a movie I'd put on. The older I've gotten, I'm not as much a fan of lower budget action films.

We are following Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) who is on a mission in South America. He and his spotter are set to assassinate someone who is in a small village. They succeed, but it doesn't come without a setback. The spotter is killed as they're trying to get to the rendezvous to evacuate. This isn't the first partner that Thomas had who has been killed in action.

There is another mission that the bureaucracy in Washington has. It is to assassinate a military leader who is plotting a coup with a local cartel for an election in Panama. Richard Miller (Billy Zane) works for SWAT and is pegged for a government role. He is assigned the new spotter for Thomas to carry this out. There is also a rogue CIA agent who is involved. Richard is also given clearance that if Thomas gets out of line, to take him out as well.

What is interesting here is that it seems that Richard hasn't killed anyone. We get a great scene where rebels attack his helicopter and he has a shot. He freezes. A gunner takes him out, but he also dies in the process. Richard is given credit for something he didn't do. Thomas is skeptical of his new partner but does his duty. This older man shows his partner how he does things as they go about completing what they're asked to do.

I wanted to give a bit of a recap here to set the stage for my thoughts. The first thing is that it is interesting to see that Berenger has played a good handful of these roles where he's an aging person in a career and helping people who are younger. I love that from the moment they meet, he knows that Richard is full of it. He's been trained, but he's never been in the thick of things. Thomas is doing what he can to prepare him so he doesn't freeze. I do think that Zane plays well off Berenger here. Even more so that we see him getting hardened by this mission and then loses his mind. Thomas does what he can to keep him safe and survive.

Now I'm not going to go too political here, but it is interesting with the climate of the world right now. This is a major thing that the US has done for decades. They are tampering with elections and assassinating people that they deem to be 'villains'. How they frame here though is that they're preventing a coup. In this case, it is probably the right thing to do. Since the US has taken that stance of being 'world police' or sheriff, we have done nefarious things for 'good'.

I'll then say here that this is well-made. I love the locations. It feels like they're out in this jungle doing what they can to survive and get to their mission in time. They also have to worry about this sniper following them. Something interesting is that we learn he was trained by Thomas as well so he's deadly. We get good practical effects. There is this CGI used that doesn't necessarily hold up. Not enough to ruin this. Just not a film that works for me, but I'm also not the target audience. Would recommend it if you like movies like this.

My Rating: 6 out of 10.

Despite its interesting premise, 'Sniper' is quite tedious. With a tighter script and sharper directing it could have been electrifying; instead it plods along with little tension.

"One shot, one kill, no exceptions." A must see if you are into marines or snipers. two big thumbs up! Great overall storyline, great camera work, good drama, action, details, and more. Pretty close to the real thing. But this isn't a film to breakdown and pick out the editing faults. this is to sit back and have a good 99 mins. The plot has some depth but this movie isn't really about making you think. its about enjoying the sniper lifestyle and action. sniper 2 and 3 are pretty good follow ups but the first is still the best overall movie. Tom Berenger does a great job playing his character and showing the hidden side of the sniper life. the plain of dealing with all of the death. Must see for sniper fans.

Beckett(Berenger, reserved and experienced) is top-of-the-line for snipers. He works in the Panamanian jungle. People like him work in pairs, or alone. Trust between the two can mean the difference between life or death. And he's paired up with rich pretty-boy Miller(Zane, more of an office man), who's never killed anyone, for the next mission. Will they ever get out alive?

This favors tension(with a constant low current of it through the 92 minutes, or 95 with end credits) over action, and those looking for a popcorn flick should look elsewhere(no offense intended). Aiming for a narrower audience, pun intended, this seeks to be a gritty, realistic and highly detailed depiction of the reality for war-time marksmen. For those of us who want such, it's satisfying, although this approach is occasionally broken by brief bouts with Hollywoodism. Acting and casting is great.

It's a thriller with a focus on the psychological, and, indeed, one of the biggest conflicts is between the two leads, who are among the only characters in this. You'd almost be forgiven for calling this a minimalist piece - two people, in the one seemingly endless setting, and a straightforward plot. Both are human beings, with flaws, and as this progresses, they get to know each other, not everything goes as it should, and things will get pushed right to the edge.

There is some strong language and bloody violence in this. I recommend this to anyone who likes the concept. 7/10

An American action thriller; A story about two marksmen who have been assigned to assassinate a Colombian drug czar. One is a tough, grizzled, American Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant; the other is an ambitious young Washington bureaucrat and NSC backed SWAT team sniper who is running the mission but is inexperienced in jungle warfare. This is a competently directed military actioner, stylishly rendered to produce a taut atmosphere. However, it is thin on material and ultimately withers to its protracted plot. The film also struggles with a lack of character progression, unaided by pedestrian dialogue. Tom Berenger convinces as the gruff, tough loner, but a psychological exploration of his character's mind never really comes to the fore.