DVD Review: SNIPER RELOADED

SNIPER: RELOADED

DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS: 90 minutes, previews

VIDEO: 1.78:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)

AUDIO: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai 5.1 Dolby Digital

Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Thai, Chinese, Korean

STUDIO: SPHE/ Stage 6 Pictures

RELEASE DATE: 4-26-2011

Sergeant Brandon Beckett (of the US Marine Corps) is in Africa training soldiers under the command of the United Nations. Beckett is order with four Marines and four African soldiers to go across the border into the Congo to evacuate a plantation owner. They walk into an ambush and most end up being killed by a sniper. Beckett wants to find the sniper and avenge the death of his fellow Marines. He has help from Miller (Billy Zane) who once went on a mission with his father Thomas Beckett. Brandon also receives a little help from a big game hunter who saves Brandon and needs help to rescue children that the rebel foreces in the Congo have taken.

SNIPER: RELOADED does feel a little lazy at times and yet it shows promise above some of the direct to DVD sequels out threre. Some good action scenes and it does take a little too long for Billy Zane to get involved in the action. The ending does set it up for a sequel. I don't like the flashback set-up for the film. I do think the military aspects are lacking in the beginning (I do think the posture the Marines have in front of a superior officer in one scene is disgraceful compared to other military films). On the plus side, South African locations does make for some beautiful locations and the film does make the most use of the locations for the scenes.

SNIPER: RELOADED doe stake some time to get moving and does lumber into drama a little too much. The action scenes do shine and yet I wish the film had more from Billy Zane in it. I miss the interaction he has with Tom Berenger in the first SNIPER which is a classic compared to this direct-to-DVD sequel. He doesn't have that kind of snap with the character who plays Beckett's son who has Daddy issues (he joined the Marines to piss off Dad). If they do make another film, I hope they include more action. The film is a good start in bringing back the SNIPER series.

this DVD review is (c)4-28-2011 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com