Overview: Mark Wahlberg, carrying over good mojo from The Departed, slides neatly into the character of Bob Lee Swagger, master marksman. Swagger has retreated from his duty as an off-the-books hired gun for the military, having become disillusioned with his government, but the government needs Swagger to scope out the location of a rumored attempt on the life of the president, so a shadowy government operative (Danny Glover) begs Swagger to use his sniper's skills to out-fox the assassin.

DVD Verdict: It's riddled with masculine clichés and by-the-numbers testosterone-driven plot elements, but "Shooter" is no reason for Mark Wahlberg to turn the gun on himself. On the heels of his Oscar-nominated work in "The Departed," he leads the way in this action-packed roller-coaster romp of mayhem, suspense and, of course, machine guns. Wahlberg is Bob Lee Swagger, a retired military vet secluded in his mountain cabin with nothing but his dog, beer and cans of Dinty Moore beef stew. A misanthrope of sorts three years after the loss of his pal Donnie in combat, his guard is up with pistols drawn when Colonel Issac Johnson, played by the always excellent Danny Glover, and his underlings show up with an urgent request - help foil an incumbent assassination on the president. He eventually gives in after his patriotism is questioned and his ego ever-so-stroked, and becomes involved. Before it's too late, he realizes he's being framed. Just barely dodging an onslaught of bullets, he escapes with his life. Gentlemen, start your engines. Swagger finds himself the most wanted man in the nation in a matter of minutes, and barely dodges the police. Fortunately, he finds help in the form of disgraced FBI agent Nick Memphis, played Michael Peña, and Sara Fenn, Donnie's widow, played by Kate Mara, who seems to lose her Kentucky accent as the plot progresses. In the latter he finds a makeshift nurse and someone in whom to confide, while in the former he finds an unlikely supporter who refuses to simply accept that Swagger is the culprit, especially when he finds telltale evidence to suggest the contrary. Glover disappears for a while, but he remains cool, calm and in character throughout. Also, Levon Helm of famed 70's rock group The Band injects the film with a shot of welcome levity in his scene as a folksy rifle expert, and it's great to see Ned Beatty still doing what he does best, even if his character of the devious Senator Meachum is an amalgamation of many he has played before. He even manages to pump a few genuine laughs into the script with his sardonic wit. Some important pieces of the movie's puzzle don't fit. It wouldn't be any easier to tell that Swagger is being set up by Johnson and his cohorts if it was spelled out in fireworks, so it's hard to believe Swagger would accept the assignment, patriotism or not. Also, one character's sudden transformation toward the end of the film (let's be vague lest we give away crucial plot elements) goes way beyond the threshold of unrealistic. Nevertheless, it's all in fun, and that's exactly what "Shooter" is meant to be. The character of Swagger is the consummate unachievable archetype of what men aspire to be, and because of that "Shooter" is a vector of sorts - like all those good old John Wayne westerns - for harmless idealization. If you can accept that, see the film, and if your girlfriend can accept it too, bring her along. This is a Widescreen Presentation (2.35:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

7 Deleted Scenes
Survival of the Fittest: The Making of Shooter
Commentary By Director Antoine Fuqua
Featurette: "Independence Hall"