Some movies simply defy the review process. Sniper: Reloaded is one of them. How to review a movie that's really nothing more than a
few
action scenes held together by a fairly standard revenge plot? Also consider that it's a direct-to-video movie, the fourth in a series that began way
back in 1993. The original -- starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane -- spawned two sequels starring Berenger, and now in 2011 Sniper is
back,
this time without Berenger but returning Billy Zane back into the fold. How many series that have long since gone the direct-to-video route can
boast that
kind of
congruity? The Sniper franchise must be doing something right to keep its actors coming back -- or at least paying its actors
enough -- and earn enough money to make
three
follow-ups viable, bankable pictures. Brief history lesson aside, the question remains: how to review a movie that's so basic in scope and so absent of
any
perceptible ambition to stand apart from the crowd? Sniper: Reloaded is about as passably flat as movies get; there's not a particularly new
or
good story, the action is very basic but effective, and the acting is acceptable for a fourth-generation movie that's part of a franchise that's never
really
been much of anything to begin with. By this point, "Sniper" must be labeled as a brand name in the Action movie universe, and it's no
surprise, then, that
Reloaded is really just an assembly line picture that will satisfy the craving for combat action and sniper-dueling suspense. That's exactly
what most any Action movie fan would expect, and that's exactly what Action movie fans get.
I see you.
Marine Sergeant Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins), son of legendary sniper Thomas Beckett, is assigned the dangerous task of evacuating
Western plantation workers from an area of the Congo about to be overrun by rebel forces. His unit is ambushed by a deadly sniper who picks off
the frightened soldiers one-by-one, and Brandon is the only one to escape the crosshairs alive. His mission a failure and the deaths of his
fellow Marines weighing heavily on his mind, Brandon sets out to avenge his fallen comrades by tracking down the deadly sniper and exacting his
own brand of unsanctioned but warranted justice. His only choice of hunting down the sniper is to become a sniper, a task for which he is woefully
inadequate and unprepared. He enlists the help of veteran sniper Richard Miller (Billy Zane) -- the same Richard Miller who was Thomas Beckett's
prized pupil -- to train him in the fine art of concealed sharpshooting so he may find justice for his friends and rest for his weary soul.
The smart money is on labeling Sniper: Reloaded as a "success" if only because it lives up to expectations, expectations that, granted, are
relatively low to begin with but expectations nonetheless that call for decent action, fair acting, and a plot that doesn't really matter but that is just
strong enough to keep the movie in some kind of order in between action scenes. Sniper: Reloaded delivers on all three, and while none will
leave the film in contention
for any awards, the movie passes muster and fulfills its every promise. Still, it could have been better -- couldn't most -- but Sniper:
Reloaded
seems like the kind of movie made with only earning the studio a bit of profit in mind. There's certainly no greater thematic or emotional purpose,
but
if the studio can keep earning a few dollars above its investment, then why not? The film gives Director Claudio Fäh -- maybe best-known for
Hollow Man 2 -- an opportunity to show is talents, which may not be considerable if this is any indication, but he proves to be at least a
serviceable helmsman with Sniper: Reloaded, delivering a fairly standard post-Saving Private Ryan sort of gritty War picture that's certainly well
worth
watching for his ability to craft effective action scenes that seem influenced not only by Spielberg's masterpiece but also by the ultraviolet final act of
Rambo.
The return of Billy Zane to the Sniper franchise may be a selling point, but he doesn't add much to the movie. After what may be be
described as an "indifferent" performance in his first scene where he lackadaisically trains new sniper recruits, Zane settles into the role and plays
the
role-reversal part of aged mentor well enough, admirably going
through the picture covered in sweat and more than willing to run around and shoot stuff from behind the safety of his scoped rifle. Zane's co-star
doesn't find much enthusiasm for the part, nor does he do much to physically sell himself as Tom Berenger's son, but he's certainly capable of
running around with a gun and shooting people, which is really what Sniper: Reloaded comes down to. It's a basic run-and-gun sort of
movie that slows down a little too much between action scenes -- including tossing in a sex scene that seems tacked on just for the heck of it -- but
that certainly delivers on its bill of goods, demonstrating a high proficiency in showing things blowing up and and people getting shot real good. Once
again, it's the sort of movie that really defies the review process; this is a movie that's going to sell itself pretty much on its name only, and that it
delivers decent enough action for a direct-to-video film is all that really matters.
Sniper: Reloaded delivers a frustratingly inconsistent 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer that, granted, oftentimes looks quite good but far too often
encounters a bump in the road -- and once or twice drops off a cliff -- that lessens the overall quality of the presentation. The image features a fairly
heavy grain structure, but it's also home to random white speckles and even one or two stray vertical lines, unusual for a brand-new picture. Detail is
sometimes strong -- evident in faces and military uniform close-ups -- but also occasionally fuzzy, once or twice appearing downright smeary in a few
distance
shots. Black levels usually appears a tad bit too dark, but the color palette is otherwise stable and accurate, primarily favoring shades of green and tan.
The image is also consistently flat. Fortunately, banding, blocking, and edge enhancement appear to have been kept to a bare minimum. Sniper:
Reloaded usually looks good, but it should have excelled beyond this.
Sniper: Reloaded features an Action movie-standard DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Gunfire is the name of the game with this one, and
every shot -- whether the hard and heavy cracks from the single-fire bolt-action sniper rifles to full-auto bursts, the soundstage comes alive
with the raw power and audible excitement of shots spilling from one speaker and impacting objects in the next. Rounds regularly zip all over the
listening area, and action scenes are nicely complimented by general audible chaos, which includes the sound of objects and people being destroyed,
screaming,
and the like. Even spent shell casings clanking off a metallic bin where several Marines hide from a sniper is quite impressive, with the shots screaming
from the center speaker and the casings hitting hard off to the side. Other sound effects and music play with a full, satisfying presence, both making full
use of the entire soundstage and playing with a crispness and accuracy that's hard to beat. Rounded out by superior dialogue reproduction, Sniper:
Reloaded easily hits the mark in terms of its audio presentation.
Sniper: Reloaded is a fairly bland Action movie that really doesn't need much of a review, if it calls for one at all. This is the definition of a picture
that's
mostly self-explanatory and guaranteed to deliver a baseline sort of direct-to-video Action movie-watching experience; that it doesn't descend into
ultra-cheap Asylum territory
(unlikely with a major studio behind it) or somehow ascend to a greatness beyond the norm for a fourth-generation Action movie (also unlikely) are
about the only
two things potential viewers might want to know about it, at least in a broad sense. Rest assured, Sniper: Reloaded is just fine, a
movie that plays exactly as most probably envision, and that's as a fair, mostly well-made, decently acted Action picture with just enough of a plot to
keep viewers watching in between action scenes. Sony's Blu-ray release of Sniper: Reloaded features decent video and audio but no
supplements. Series and genre fans will be best served by giving this one a rental.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced Sniper: Reloaded for Blu-ray release on April 26. This direct-to-video action movie is a sequel to the Sniper movies, where Marine Sgt. Brandon Beckett, son of renowned sniper Thomas Beckett, must turn to his former ...
