User Reviews

The SNIPER movies have gone up and down as far as quality goes. The original film released in 1993 was a solid piece that offered more depth of story involving a professional sniper matched with an office type sent out to take down a rebel leader in Panama. The action was there but the interplay between the characters lifted this out of direct to DVD status. Subsequent films haven't matched the first one but this one comes close.

Jesus Morales, a Colombian drug lord, is employing a professional sniper known as El Diablo to take out his competition. In doing so he will then control not just the drug trade but all smuggling operations coming out of South America.

The DEA is concerned about his efforts and feels that the best thing to do is take him down before he can achieve his goal. The problem is he moves from location to location, never in the same place twice in as many days. And once they do find him they need to not only take him down but make sure that El Diablo doesn't take them out at the same time.

To aid in this mission Washington liaison Richard Miller (Billy Zane recreating his role from the first film) recruits Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins), perhaps the best sniper the U.S. has. Arriving in Colombia Brandon is whisked off to the task force's headquarters where he learns the man on the ground running things is Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger also recreating his role from the first film), his father. The two are glad to see one another and the plan is explained led by DEA agent Kate Estrada (Danay Garcia).

Word has reached the task force of Morales possible location and they launch a team to take him prisoner on a remote farm. The problem is that the location was a trap to take out the task force as the building there blows sky high. This is followed by the efforts of El Diablo to take out the rest of the team from a distant sniper location. Only the skills of Brandon on hand with the team saves those few who remain unscathed. Reviewing the remains of the attack the team discovers that El Diablo is using new technology, a smart bullet that tracks its intended victim.

Another attack on the team leaves them realizing that there is a mole in their midst providing information to Morales. Unwilling to sit back and wait to be taken out, Brandon and Kate take to hiding on their own and looking for information. No longer completely plugged in to the system their odds of survival increase. If only El Diablo can be neutralized and Morales taken down.

The movie is a solid B-film when it comes to major releases and yet it doesn't come off that way in execution. The acting is better than most films released this way to begin with. The story seems more plausible than most and holds your interest from start to finish. Seeing Berenger and Zane together again is also an added plus to this one.

As to why the film had bad timing it was released far too close to the sniper shootings in Las Vegas. Odds are good that most people weren't interested in watching a movie about such a tender subject at the time. I know it pushed my review back a few weeks due to a sense of respect for those victims. The amount of gore in the film from the killings of El Diablo also helped with that decision.

But if you've enjoyed the other films in the series you'll enjoy this one as well. It offers plenty of action combined with story and above par acting that will keep you watching till the end credits roll. While watching I kept thinking that the way the story is told reminded me of more than one Jack Reacher or Mitch Rapp book that I've read in the past. Consider that a plus for this outing.

19 November 2017: This is Not a bad movie, but Not as good as Mark Wahlberg's "Shooter" 2007. Once again another negative stereotype of Colombia. The world knows that Colombia was once known only for drugs and kidnappings in the 70's and 80' decades. However, there are a lot of good and positive things in Colombia, which American made films about Colombia are Never shown. Americans and other countries never hear or see the positive side of beautiful Colombia, which I have visited as well as Panama.

Colombia has some of the most talented singing groups such as Jairo Varela's Grupo Niche, Shakira, Juanes, Carlos Vives and beautiful singers, Fanny Lu and Carolina La O or actors such as Manolo Cardona, Jorge Abello and the most famous Colombian American actor, John Leguizamos or actresses, beautiful Ana Lucia Dominguez, Danna Garcia, Zulay Henao, Paola Rey,Catherine Siachoque and the most famous Colombian American actress, Sofia Vegara.

This is just as bad as it was for many years in 70's and 80's in American cinema, almost all films with African Americans were negative stereotypes of on welfare, deadbeat dads, drug dealers, pimps, gang members, single mothers with five or more kids or Mexican theme films with the same negative stereotype or all Asian films only showing Karate or Gung Fu. It would be nice to see some positive films about Colombia for a change.

Acting is okay from the entire cast, but the stand out performance is Cuban Latina actress, Danay Garcia as a cute, but tough agent who does not take any crap. Danay holds her own in a room full of men or when she is being harassed in a bar or on the streets. This is a nice refreshing look from the usual whiny women victim roles that most actresses play.

I wonder why the entire cast of actors/actresses names are Not listed in the IMDb credits. Only the few main roles are listed. For example, pretty Colombian Latina actress, Diana Patricia Hoyos or actor, Jaime Correa who plays priest father, Carlos are missing in the IMDb credits.

The plot have been done hundreds of times in flicks such as this one. I knew long before the half way point, there was going to be a snitch or double agent and I figured out that it would be actor Joe Lando in the role of John Sampson. Overall this flick is good for Red Box or cable, but not for theatrical release. The film, "Shooter" is a 10. This is about a 7 max.

Opening scene: drug lord gets his head blown in half which is great accept for the fact that his lover was in the line of fire and she somehow wasn't touched. Can't let you get away with that fk up.