Seats in the first few rows at the cinema might normally be considered less than first class for many movies, but for Shooter, it's a great idea. The action is almost nonstop - much like the TV show 24, which has loaned two of its cast members for the female roles in Shooter - yet it's not all that hard to follow, even when it's in your face like an IMAX feature.

Mark Wahlberg is Bob Lee Swagger, who, despite his name, is a humble retired supersniper, living alone off the land in his remote Wyoming cabin. The scene is reminiscent of Rambo, hanging out in a remote monastery when his old bosses came looking for him (in Rambo II), appealing to his noble loyalty to America, and conning him into taking on a mission only he might be able to execute before they execute him.

But Swagger, who's already been betrayed once before by the military when they killed his buddy and tried to snuff him too, has also apparently never seen Rambo II, in which, after doing what he thought he had to do, Rambo is betrayed by his old bosses.

Danny Glover is barely understandable as too-gruffly-talking Colonel Isaac Johnson, who finds Swagger at his hideaway and tells him he's got to unretire and help his country by pretending to assassinate the President. There's only one chance to stop the evildoers who are planning to do it for real, the slimy Colonel asserts, and that's to have Swagger figure out ahead of time when and where it's likely to happen.

Incredibly, the good shooter takes the Colonel at his word. Swagger, like many Americans nowadays, stoically grumbles that he doesn't care anymore what thug is killing another, but after that, except for some nominal frowning, he's a complete pushover. With an amiable grin, he agrees to stalk the President. "Let's see, become a patsy for the Colonel in an assassination plot?" he seems to be thinking. "Why the hell not? I love shooting, and I love them lyin' guys!"

Swagger does his duty, locating the ideal assassination location, only to be - surprise! - duped by foul treachery. He's blamed for murder, shot twice, and forced to go on the run with everyone in the USA looking for him, and no one he can trust except maybe two people who might believe he didn't really do it.

When you never miss whoever or whatever you shoot at, and you're pissed enough to steal a rifle, there is really nothing sweeter than vindication and revenge. Swagger started out with what we thought was a healthy skepticism of the government, and we never wanted him to give them a second chance, but he did. Now he's out to score some blood bounty to reward us for being right, because he knows we tried to tell him so way back in Wyoming. Wahlberg's not as physically overdeveloped as Stallone, and he doesn't use as much kung fu hustle, but he's buff and never shies from a skirmish. Swagger's more the ingenious type, like MacGyver, healing his wounds with sugar, improvising explosive devices and ably dodging several thousand bullets while personally inflicting countless blood-splatterin' casualties with his trademark unerring aim.

Ned Beatty is the villainous U.S. senator who's behind Colonel Johnson's perfidy, and it's a pleasure to see him and Danny Glover getting their due as such fine bad guys. Wahlberg does well as a nice guy who sort of goes berserko when his government lets him down for the last time, but actually, he had better range with a big gun in Boogie Nights. For more ammo, go to http://www.shootermovie.com/

Copyright 2007 Metropolitan Community College