While thisMark Wahlberg-led, no-nonsense action thriller may have been lambasted by critics, not even a “rotten” rating can keep theTransformersstar down, with this tale of a falsely accused former soldier now climbing the streaming charts on not one, but two platforms. Seeking justice, and using his particular set of skills to do it, 2007’sShooterproves that audiences continue to be drawn to simple stories of violent retribution.
Directed byAntoine Fuqua, the filmmaker best known for the likes ofTraining DayandThe Equalizerfranchise, and written by Jonathan Lemkin,Shooteris based on the 1993 novel “Point of Impact” by Stephen Hunter. Co-starring Michael Peña, Danny Glover, Kate Mara, Levon Helm, and Ned Beatty alongside Wahlberg,Shooteris now climbing the charts on bothParamount+andSTARZ, and you can check out the movie’s official synopsis below.
“A top Marine sniper, Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), leaves the military after a mission goes horribly awry and disappears without a trace. Swagger is coaxed back into service after high-profile government officials convince him to help thwart a plot against the President of the United States. Swagger realizes he has been betrayed and becomes the target of a nationwide manhunt. Instead of hiding, he seeks revenge against some of the most powerful and corrupt leaders in the free world.”
‘Shooter’ Is the Perfect Action Movie Throwback
For action fans,Shooteris the perfect genre throwback, with Wahlberg’s one-man army, the intrepid (and gloriously named) Bob Lee Swagger harking back to the action heroes of the 1980s. Leaving any complications at the door, Swagger solves his and the world’s problems with a well-aimed rifle, and allows action fans to bask in awonderfully simple thrillerin which the good and bad guys are colored in black and white with zero hint of gray.
It’s this black and white approach that resulted in a major divide between critics and audiences, with the former taking issue with the action movie’s “mindless”story of conspiracy, betrayal, and revenge. The action thriller was branded with a dreaded green splat after scoring a lesser rating of 47% from the former on Rotten Tomatoes, while the latter scored it an impressive 80% on the Popcornmeter.
Mark Wahlberg continues to proudly fly the action movie flag to this very day. The actor reunited with hisFather Stuco-star and controversial Hollywood figure Mel Gibson for this year’s action thrillerFlight Risk, with Gibson directing from a script by Jared Rosenberg. Wahlberg takes on villain duties in this story of a pilot who isn’t quite what he seems, and while the action thriller crashed and burned with critics, much likeShooter, it was a hit with audiences andhas since become a hit on streaming.
Wahlberg has plenty of action fare in the pipeline,including the crime thrillerPlay DirtyfromIron Man 3andThe Nice Guysdirector Shane Black, in which he’ll star as Parker, a character previously played on the big screen by Mel Gibson and Jason Statham. He is also set to reunite with Michelle Monaghan for action-comedy sequelThe Family Plan 2, and will star alongside Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the crime thrillerBy Any Means.
