Shooter

One thing can be said for Shooter; they've certainly invested some time in making the locations look good. The director's helicopter fetish makes for some particularly lavish long shots, but it's a feat not overly matched by the storyline itself. In trying to be a twisting plot of double-crossing and assassination framing (think Bourne meets 24), they've actually managed to produce quite a predictable movie, that doesn't really bring anything new to the genre. Sure, Mark Wahlberg is a perfectly capable ex-marine sniper (and it's nice to see someone other than Bruce Willis or Jason Statham in that kind of role), but in order to cut-through in the cluttered double-crossed story space, the filmmakers needed something a little more innovative than just a new name in the title role.

Mark Wahlberg takes his Xbox gaming very seriously

As far as everything else goes, it's a perfectly acceptable action movie. One phenomenally minor point, but important to me at the time; all the major dialogue seems to be only a little more than a whisper, which makes it a slightly nerve-wracking (or confusing) film to watch while babysitting. Otherwise, bar a strange overuse of shopping lists (I counted him writing at least three!), and the suspension of disbelief required when Mark is able to train a rookie cop to be a world-class sniper in an afternoon, Shooter is a worthwhile watch.