I just couldn’t bring myself to see this film in the theatre because of the title. Every time I saw the preview, I just kept thinking of Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald’s character in Happy Gilmore) who is one of my favorite villains of all time (“I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast…”).
Alas, this movie has nothing to do with out beloved golfer never to win the green jacket, but surprisingly it’s a pretty good action movie (especially one that stars Marky Mark).
Bobby Lee Swagger (Marky Mark, and I don’t care what any of you say, he will always be Donny’s from NKOTB brother and the guy who fuckin’ sang “Good Vibrations”) is a former Marine Scout Sniper who was left for dead in Afghanistan. Because of the government being all governmenty, Bobby’s best friend was killed. Bobby becomes disillusioned with the government and once he retires, he finds a cabin in the deep forest where the government can’t bother him, or so he thinks.
Fast forward a few years, Colonel Johnson (Danny Glover) needs a Sniper to help stop an assassination attempt on the President. He asks Bobby for his help. Bobby refuses, but after Johnson gives him the “Do this for your country” speech, Bobby’s patriotism is too much and he gives in.
In Philadelphia a sniper takes a crack at the President but misses and hits an African preacher standing next to the President. Suddenly all hell breaks loose and cops start shooting at Bobby thinking he is the assassin.
Bobby escapes and turns to the one person he still knows after his time in recluse. He turns to the wife of his friend who was killed in Afghanistan (good move, bro, hook up with the grieving widow). Her name is Sarah (Kate Mara). Sarah heals Bobby’s wounds and asks Bobby what he’s gonna do now that he is the most wanted man in America? “I’m gonna figure out who did this, and kill them” (yeah, violence is ALWAYS the answer!).
Meanwhile, a rookie FBI agent, Nick Memphis (Michael Pena) has started to figure out that Bobby Swagger was NOT the killer, the preacher from Africa was the real target all along and there is a HUGE government conspiracy here all started by Colonel Johnson and a Senator Charles Meachum (please to Meach-um) (Ned Beatty).
Bobby and Memphis hook up, and after a training montage (cuz even Rocky had a montage) they decide to “take out the trash”. Action scene after action scene leads us to a glacier in Montana (yeah, don’t ask me why they’re there either) where Johnson has kidnapped Sarah and Bobby and Memphis need to rescue her.
Here is my favorite screen shot:
Memphis gets kidnapped and Bobby needs to save him. I love this scene for two reasons: 1) the fact that Bobby has time to grease paint his face while his buddy is getting the crapped kicked out of him by the bad guys and 2) Marky Mark looks just like WWE Wrestling Champion John Cena from The Marine when he’s all made-up like that. Hilarious!
So what’s my opinion? This film is so much like the classic 80’s action films, that I actually really enjoyed it. Who gives a shit that the plot is razor thin and the acting is horrid? There are many great action scenes where Bobby kills everyone in the room with a toothpick. That’s awesome! (that’s an exaggeration by the way, he never actually uses a toothpick, but it’d be pretty cool).
Yeah, Michael Pena and Kate Mara are AWEFUL, but they’re stiff acting is overshadowed by the action scenes and Mara is REALLY nice to look at, so who cares?
COME ON! THAT’S HOT!!!!!!
ON THE DVD:
A bland commentary with the director.
A pretty well done making-of which is WAY better than the commentary track.
Deleted scenes. Thank God they took them out of the film. All of the deleted scenes were Bobby giving speeches about how bad the government really is. It makes his character really preachy and flat. Thankfully they’re not in the theatrical version.
FINAL ANALYSIS:
This movie kicks ass! That’s the best way to describe it. It’s a kick ass, take no prisoners action flick for any action junky. There just aren’t enough Rated R action films anymore and this made me thirst for the days of Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Make more of these dammit! Bad guys do bad things, good guy kills them all and gets the girl! It’s not hard! So, it may not be about Shooter McGavin, but it’s just as cheesy!
BUY THIS DVD!
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