Berenger, Bokeem & Bosnia
Having been medically discharged from the Marines when he lost a finger, former U.S. Marine Corps scout sniper Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger) has been making a living as a guide for hunters and in sniper competitions. But the CIA come knocking when renegade Serbian General Mile Valstoria (Peter Linka) threatens to cause a bigger problem in Serbia with his hit and run ethnic cleansing. Accompanied by spotter, Jake Cole (Bokeem Woodbine), an experienced U.S. Army sniper who having killed a federal agent is on death row but offered this as away of reedming himself. But after landing in Bosnia and doing the job they were ordered to do they find themselves stuck there when no one shows up at the extraction point and suddenly Beckett realises he has been hoodwinked into doing a much bigger job when Cole ends up caught.
"Sniper 2" whilst different is the equivalent of "Kickboxer 2"! It is a movie made to entertain teens who having watched "Sniper" have got a thing for watching sniper movies and the sort of movies where trained assassins end up on the run in another country. What it isn't is a movie for grown ups who expected a sensible, well thought out sequel to "Sniper" or those who are concerned with authenticity. In fact "Sniper 2" almost has a whiff of the Seagal about it with it being shot in a country where the locals don't necessarily speak the local language and it being a direct to video production.
The trouble is that I am no longer a 15 year old teen, I've not been one for an incredibly long time, and as such as I watched "Sniper 2" the movie didn't work despite featuring a few good actors. The whole plot is too far fetched and the action is not spectacular enough whilst some of the characters look like they have stepped out of a Seagal movie and into this one. The most disappointing thing is actors such as Tom Berenger and Bokeem Woodbine deserve better and it makes me wonder who Berenger pissed off to end up in a movie like this. Then again maybe it was money for old rope and he fancied some simple work for a good pay check.
What this all boils down to is that "Sniper 2" isn't very good for those who expected more than just direct to video nonsense. But for a teen market that watch because the whole sniper assassin thing is what they enjoy it might just do the job, might being the operative word.
