SHOOTER 15th Anniversary 4K Steelbook is available from retailers everywhere.
Antoine Fuqua spent years directing music videos before his first feature film BAIT (2000). His second film TRAINING DAY yielded Denzel Washington his only Best Actor academy award and is still in my eyes Fuqua's strongest film. I'm still waiting for Warner Bros. to release that film in 4K.
The 2007 thriller SHOOTER is also one of Fuqua's best, teaming up with Mark Wahlberg to deliver a sharp, paranoid and violent tale of government betrayal and vengeance. Most probably don't know that SHOOTER is actually based on a 1993 book called Point of Impact written by Stephen Hunter. In the book the character of Bobby Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg in the film version) is a Vietnam War sniper veteran who's framed for an assassination by a group of Black Ops Government people who have ulterior motives. The character of Swagger is based off of a real Vietnam sniper legend named Carlos Hathcock who had a service record of 93 confirmed kills, although Hathcock estimates the number to be much closer to 400!
The legendary William Goldman was a script doctor on this and according to him Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford and Robert Redford where all approached to play Swagger and all three turned it down. Therefore they changed Swagger to a younger vet whose service was not during Vietnam.
The film begins with Swagger on special assignment in Africa with his partner when they are suddenly left abandoned behind enemy lines by a fringe group within the CIA. His partner Donnie is killed in action and Swagger ends up living in seclusion high up in the mountains of Wyoming in dismay of the ordeal. His peaceful life is upended when retired U.S. Army Colonel, Isaac Johnson (played brilliant by Danny Glover) shows up at his doorstep asking for help to thwart an assassination attempt on the President.
The film has a stellar supporting cast that includes Michael Peña, Elias Koteas, Kate Mara, Rade Serbedzija and even Ned Beatty!
Without delving further into the plot for the readers who have never seen it, It's an action packed, consistently fast paced and engrossing ride. Fuqua is skilled at delivering the action/thriller goods while still bringing a humanity to all the characters, even the smaller roles.
The new 4K transfer looks and sounds exquisite. The film was shot by Peter Menzies Jr. A DP King of the action/thriller genre having shot films such as DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE (1995), TOMBRAIDER (2001) and THE EXPENDABLES 3 (2014). The sound on this new disc delivers a particularly powerful punch and if you have a surround system you are in for a real treat.
I highly recommend picking up the new 4K Steelbook, a fantastic addition to any collection!
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