Sniper Reloaded

Directed by: Claudio Fah

Starring: Chad Michael Collins, Billy Zane, Annabel Wright, Patrick Lyster

Synopsis:

Sgt Brandon Beckett is a marine and part of a UN detachment in The Congo, which is in the midst of a civil war. As the fighting gets close to the border, Beckett is sent to rescue a colonial living in the area. Having managed to convince him to leave with them, the colonial and Beckett’s men are killed, shot long-distance by a skilled sniper. Wounded, Beckett is rescued by a local big game hunter called Martin Chandler (Lyster), and manages to rescue the niece of the colonial, a young girl called.

After Beckett manages to get the girl to safety, he is determined to track down the sniper who murdered his men. Beckett gets assistance from some unusual parties, including a British female Lieutenant (Wright) and a friend of his fathers, the enigmatic Richard Miller…

Review:

Although the budgets have shrunk from film to film, it has to be said that each of the Sniper movies have been consistently entertaining, including this one.

The first couple of shots don’t raise the hopes unfortunately, but things improve a lot as we get into the meat of the story. Each film in the series has been set in a different location, and Sniper:Reloaded follows that trend by setting it in a war-torn African country. The film makes the most of the setting, juxtaposing scenes of the local wildlife (giraffes, zebras etc) with masses of terrified people trying to cross the border to safety.

Beckett and his men are there to help train the government troops. There’s an undercurrent of resentment on both sides – the marines don’t think much of their counterparts, and the African troops resent the condescending attitude.

Out of the blue, Beckett and his men are sent on a rescue mission over the border. The fighting is getting close and all the local farmers are being evacuated. One farmer in particular is being stubborn and won’t leave, so a team is being sent in to get him out, by force if necessary.

The mission goes well until they are about to leave. A nice touch has Beckett spot a flock of birds suddenly take off in fright from a tree, and realises they’re about to be attacked. The sniper is methodical and patient, taking out each of the squad in turn. The scene is very well shot but contains a new “gimmick” which has popped up in another DTV sequel recently – the camera attached to the gun-barrel shot. This is a bit different though as the camera is facing the character, not the target. It’s still a bit distracting though and thankfully isn’t over-used.

Beckett is saved by Martin Chandler, a big game hunter who takes tourists out on safari and also rescues children orphaned by the fighting. When he and Beckett travel back to the colonial’s farm they make a number of significant discoveries.

Billy Zane reprises his role of Richard Miller. In the first film, Miller was an Olympic sharpshooter hired by the CIA and trained by Beckett’s father. The psychological aspects of his first mission in Columbia almost drove him to insanity but Beckett got him through it. Now, Miller is a mysterious special ops guy who holds no rank – similar to Val Kilmer’s character in Spartan. When Miller here’s about what happened to Beckett Jr. he heads to Africa to lend a hand.

Sniper Reloaded has a few dull moments – a romantic interlude being the biggest culprit – but there is a nice level of detail to the training sequences (Miller taking some trainee snipers through their paces, Beckett teaching the African troops use of different weapons) and the banter between the marines.

The action scenes are all well made, especially the finale which is set in a small rebel compound. The film’s coda also gives hope for further adventures of Sgt Beckett, and it would be great if Chad Michael Collins could turn it into a signature role.

Verdict:

After a shaky start Sniper reloaded turns into a very decent action movie and takes it’s time to develop it’s central characters. Here’s hoping for more adventures. Recommended.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

New! Comments