Sniper: Reloaded

Released in 1993 to modest business in theaters, Sniper has gained a bit of cult status over the last 18 years.  How can this movie be that old?!? It made about $18 million in theaters, wasn't received well by critics, and stands currently with a 5.8 rating at IMDB.  Starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane, it was the story of two snipers -- one experienced and one newbie -- on a near-suicidal mission deep in South America to take out a Panamanian rebel leader. It was a staple on TNT and AMC over several years, and I saw it countless times.  I understand why some people dislike it, but it's a well-told story with two always interesting main characters.

The cult status came in the form of three straight to DVD sequels, including most recently 2011's Sniper: Reloaded, a reboot almost of the small-scale franchise. I've only seen the first sequel, 2002's Sniper 2, and while I enjoyed it, I can admit it's not a very good movie.  Haven't got around to seeing 2004's Sniper 3, but I'll get to it sooner or later.  Seeing that a third sequel was being released on DVD (without Berenger), I was skeptical, but Zane's presence certainly softened the blow.  The most recent Sniper entry is pretty cookie-cutter, nothing fancy, nothing too showy.  Not surprisingly though, the best thing going is the reappearance of Zane as Richard Miller, the protege and sometimes adversary of Berenger's talented sniper, Sgt. Beckett.

Working with UN forces in Congo training the Congolese army, U.S. Marine Sgt. Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) is the lone survivor from his unit on a rescue mission. The son of famous sniper Thomas Beckett, Brandon joined the Marines almost out of spite for his father.  Now, seeking vengeance for the death of his men and questioning why he survived, Brandon realizes he's stumbled into something bigger than him.  He wants nothing more than to kill the sniper who slaughtered his men and wounded him in the process.  With pressure from above to back off, Beckett continues to investigate, even being joined by CIA sniper Richard Miller (Zane) who's looking out for the son of his teacher, friend and sometime enemy. The two men may have bit off more than they can chew though, finding themselves in a sticky situation with American weapons reaching Congolese rebel groups.

Straight to DVD has never been a strong calling card for me going into a movie.  My first thought is usually 'If it was good enough, it would have been released in theaters.' Thankfully, 'Reloaded' avoids a lot of the pratfalls other DVD entries usually get tripped up around.  Yes, the story is predictable, the dialogue not always the most realistic, and the cliches fly left and right.  Overall, 'Reloaded' doesn't have the feel of a straight to DVD movie. Director Claudio Fah (yes, that powerhouse of directing) films his story in South Africa so visually there's a good jumping off point. It is hard to make Africa look bad. Second, the music is good, and most importantly, the action is handled well and choreographed nicely.  Lots of blood squibs and some surprising amounts of graphic violence pepper the story as needed. A classic this is not, but for a straight to the store movie, it ain't bad.

Playing Beckett's son, Chad Michael Collins has some big shoes to fill, stepping in where Tom Berenger left off.  While he looks freakishly familiar (he looks like a thinner Sam Worthington to me), I haven't seen him in anything else than this sequel.  He is a bit wooden in his delivery and doesn't miss many opportunities to strip down and flex (I'm assuming for the ladies in the audience), but he does a decent enough job in the lead.  Brandon does seem to pick up sniping rather quickly though, a little too quickly for my liking.  Also in the relatively unknown cast is Annabel Wright as Lt. Ellen Abramovitz, a United Nations officer working with Beckett, Richard Sammel as Colonel Jager, the local U.N. commander, Rob Fruithof as Van Brunt, the plantation owner supposed to be removed from the area, and Patrick Lyster as Martin Chandler, a British hunter/trader in Congo working to save children from the rebel forces.  In a small part, Lyster makes the most of it, giving us a believable, interesting supporting character.

I really don't know what happened to Billy Zane. In the 1990s, he seemed to be a rising star destined for bigger and better roles, especially after the success of Titanic. But since then, he's acted in B-movies and short-lived TV series.  I've always been a fan so seeing him return here as one of his coolest characters is the best thing going for Sniper: Reloaded.  This isn't the Richard Miller we met in Sniper, this is a changed man, one who has learned from his mistakes and is much more confident in his ability.  Zane looks to be having a ball in the role, getting all the great one-liners and delivering them with flair.  My favorite comes as Beckett asks a question about what they'll do following an ambush set-up. Over his shoulder, Zane answers 'Are you kidding? We're not going to live through this.'  Cheesy, corny, you bet, and I love it.

For a 91-minute movie, the story drifts a bit for my liking. The opening 20-30 minutes is good including the ambush and immediate aftermath. Then for about 30 minutes things just sort of drift along. Beckett meets Ellen, argues with her, takes her on a date, and hooks up with her. Figuring he should do something about his murdered men, he goes AWOL to hunt down the sniper he believes killed them. The last 25 minutes are easily the best as Beckett and Miller team up to take down the rival sniper and expose a conspiracy.  Pardon the pun, but the movie is hit or miss.  For a straight to DVD feature though, it's not bad at all.  I have a soft spot for the Sniper movies so take that into account. Probably not for everyone, but Sniper fans should enjoy it. And FYI, no Tom Berenger cameo unfortunately.

Sniper: Reloaded <---trailer (2011): ***/****