A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Shooter

Date Viewed: 3/31/07

Details:

Mark Wahlberg

Michael Peña

Danny Glover

Kate Mara

Ned Beatty

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Score: +

The Review: Highly skilled ("on target at a mile") discharged military sharpshooter is framed for the shooting of the President. Conspiracy theorists will have a heyday with this one.

Bob Lee Swagger (here, Wahlberg) is a sometime persistent character in the novels of Stephen Hunter. This one is taken from his Point of Impact. By now, Swagger has "retired" to the remote hills of Arkansas (the reasons attributed by the book and by the movie appear to be different, but that's plot engineering for you, and the movie's version does have some relevance as things wind out). But Swager is "invited" back to duty -- indeed, an appeal to "duty" might be the only way to draw him back into the game -- as a consultant on a potential assassination threat. But things get rather twisted after this, and he's both running for his life, and for his honor.

Some good characters, if occasionally more caricature, with a decent supporting cast.

(19-May-07)

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