Actor Mark Wahlberg seems to improve with every role, especially ones where he plays the tough guy on the side of good. Fresh off an Oscar nomination for his silver-tongued, hardass cop role in "The Departed," Wahlberg's latest offers the same meat packed with slightly less bite (because, well, it'd be hard to trump a script like that of "The Departed"), but is still exceptional.
In "Shooter," Wahlberg switches gears from portraying the hardened cop to playing the hardened Special Ops Marine sharpshooter. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, whose filmography includes the bombastically exhilarating "Training Day" as well as the disappointing "King Arthur," "Shooter" is a true gem of a thriller, action-packed and thoroughly engaging.
The story begins in Ethiopia, "inside a country we're not supposed to be in," when Bob Lee Swagger (Wahlberg) and his partner are abandoned by the U.S. military. Left to fend for themselves against the righteously rancorous natives, Swagger makes it out alive but his partner is killed.
Promptly putting in his resignation, Swagger secludes himself to a mountain cabin, where he is found three years later by Col. Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover, "Dreamgirls"). An assassination plot has been uncovered against the president, and America needs Swagger to scout out possible locations in order to catch the miscreant before it's too late. Feeding Swagger's patriotism, in the end, he dutifully consents.
Of course, this is all a setup.
Swagger is simply the chosen patsy to take the rap for the assassination. Unfortunately for Johnson and Co., Swagger isn't about to let that happen. What follows is a perfectly enjoyable hour and a half or so of revenge and smoking out the bad guys, one of whom is an agreeable Ned Beatty as a corrupt senator.
Helping Swagger along his way is Sarah (Kate Mara, "Brokeback Mountain"), the widow of his former spotter, and FBI agent Nick Memphis (Michael Pena, "World Trade Center"). While Mara is agonizingly dull and holds one expression throughout most of the film, Pena plays the supporting role with true talent. The entire movie would slump, however, if it wasn't carried by Wahlberg.
Proving his ability as an actor once more, Wahlberg plays Swagger with a cool demeanor that makes his actions and uncanny resourcefulness seem almost plausible.
Helping to explain Swagger's disdain and tired attitude for all things political or military related is his blatant cynicism toward the government. Given the country's paranoid post-9/11 atmosphere, this sentiment should come as no surprise. One of the film's early scenes shows Swagger sitting down at his desk with a Bud, the 9/11 Commission Report resting nearby, mumbling, "Let's see what lies they're trying to tell us today," as he boots the computer.
The film itself is beautifully shot, and the various locations keep "Shooter" moving without losing energy. Landscapes ranging from the streets of Philly to snow-capped mountains and everything in between lend the cinematography to a plethora of angles and possibilities.
Regardless of obvious plot holes and an abundance of typical stock characters (i.e. the good guy, the bad guy, the romantic interest, the understated sidekick), "Shooter" is everything one could ask for from a combination of Fuqua's guts-and-glory style and Wahlberg's strong acting. Most importantly, it does just what an action movie should: It keeps the audience moving by incorporating adequate tension and things that go boom.
Grade: 3.5 of 5
