Shooter

** Stars

Shooter tries to disguise itself as a top notch political thriller, but falls into a formula that is so predictable, that even Mark Wahlberg cannot save.

Now, if I had to make a list of the most badass things in the world, it would be Marky-Mark as a tactical sniper, popping people from more than a mile away. Wahlberg manages to bring out his bold charisma in this film and shows why he became a movie star. But as a movie, Shooter tries to combine The Fugitive with Fox's 24 and ultimately falls flat.

Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg), a former Marine Corps sniper who leaves the military after a mission goes bad. After he is reluctantly pressed back into service, Swagger is double-crossed again. With two bullets in him and the subject of a nationwide manhunt, Swagger begins his revenge, which will take down the most powerful people in the country, including Colonel Isaac Johnson played by Danny Glover.

Danny Glover?

Yes, the most nortorious villain in this thriller is Danny Glover, who brings the reputation of villains to borderline mental-retardation.

Now if this movie had accepted itself as a corny, yet gritty action movie, with Wahlberg leading the show, we could have seen the next Rambo. But instead, Shooter tries to justify itself as a message movie. The message is that there may be crooked-politicans in Washington. As Danny Glover in this movie would say, Really?