Release Date: March 25th, 2008
Running Time: 88 minutes

The Film

Ah, the action movie genre. I love it, I really do, but these days people can’t seem to let their movies be as mindless as they were in the 1980s. The time of Stallone and Van Damme killing dozens of bad guys with ease seems to have passed. Now these types of films only find their way to the direct-to-DVD market. The first entry in Genius Products’ “Maximum Action” series, Sharpshooter was made twenty years too late and can’t compare to the action classics it mimics.

The film stars James Remar as Dillon, a Special Ops sniper and ex-navy SEAL at the end of his career. All he wants is to retire into the sunset and live a peaceful existence. Unfortunately Dillon gets word from his government contact, Flick (Mario Van Peebles), that there is one final, very important mission. Against his better judgment, Dillon agrees. After all, he is a patriot and this is about national security.

The assignment is terrorist Miguel Deguerre (Al Sapienza). Deguerre has taken up base in a small town called Appleton and is planning to sell nukes to North Korea. Dillon heads to Appleton and begins his mission by scouting the territory and his mark. His situation is complicated when the local Sheriff (Bruce Boxleitner) begins to question his identity and a reporter (Catherine Mary Stewart) throws some romantic tension in the mix. Things go completely south when his infiltration of Deguerre’s estate is foiled and he finds out Flick has come to town with an entourage of his own killers. Who can he trust and how will he get out of Appleton alive?

There is nothing inherently wrong with Sharpshooter other than the fact that it is completely ordinary. Every moment, every set piece in the film has been done before, and done better. Action movies can’t survive on rehashing old formulas anymore. You either need a big name attached to the project or the ability to reinvent the genre. This film has neither of those qualities. If you want to watch a solid sniper movie, check out Shooter.

The DVD

The video is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer has grain issues that affect the overall clarity, but the explosions certainly look pretty.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. It may not be the most genius mix, but it is aggressive enough to annoy the neighbors and features plenty of gunfire blasting across the speakers. The mix is balanced well though there were a few moments where the action muffled the dialogue a bit much.

The Extras

Only previews are offered.

Final Thoughts

Sharpshooter takes a page from the 80s action films, but doesn’t raise the bar enough to be anything more than a forgettable rental.