Mark Wahlberg’s been in a wide range of films, including his star-making turn inBoogie NightsandTim Burton’s rather underwhelmingPlanet of the Apesreboot. The genre he seems to gravitate most towards is action, especially in recent years with straight-to-streaming fare includingThe Family PlanandThe Union; true to form for Wahlberg, reception to these projects tends to be mixed (especially his role in the Transformers franchise). But there’s an action film in Wahlberg’s career that deserves a second look, and that film isShooter.Shooter’s mix of pointed political commentary and blood-soaked action led toa prime spot on the Paramount+ charts, and it’s well deserved asthis is a film that deconstructs most of the tropes you’d see in a political thriller.
What Is ‘Shooter’ About?
Shootertakes the bulk of its plot from the novelPoint of ImpactbyStephen Hunter, the first in a series of novels centered on Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger. InShooter, Swagger (played by Wahlberg) is contacted by Colonel Issac Johnson (Danny Glover) to help prevent an attempt on the President’s life. It turns out that the target was a different person entirely: the Ethiopian Archbishop.Swagger is framed for the shooting by Johnson, and is forced to go on the run, with his only allies being rookie FBI agent Nick Memphis (Michael Peña) and Sarah Fenn (Kate Mara), the widow of his former spotter.Swagger also uncovers a conspiracy involving Johnson, which leads to multiple twists and turns as he fights to stay alive.
Mark Wahlberg’s ‘Shooter’ Took Over a Decade To Get Made
Believe it or not,Shootertook roughly twelve years to get to the screen. The lateWilliam Friedkinattempted to get an adaptation ofPoint of Impactoff the ground in 2003 withTommy Lee Jonesas Swagger, but the duo eventually wound up filmingThe Hunted. Hunter himself attempted to translate his novel to screen, but called it a “horrible experience” during an interview with theLos Angeles Times. Many directors and stars, particularlyRobert RedfordandKeanu Reeves, were attached toShooterat one point, and the rights even started at Universal before moving to Paramount.
It was screenwriterJonathan Lemkinwho finally cracked the code with a page-one rewrite, with the approach ofshifting key events and the timeline of the novel. InPoint of Impact, Swagger is a Vietnam veteran; inShooterit’s changed to him participating in the Gulf War. Lemkin also decided to shift the assassination (which happens later in the book) to the end of the first act. The end result is a propulsive action thriller with a compelling mystery at the core, and it was enough to pushShooterforward with Wahlberg andAntoine Fuquain the director’s chair. Wahlberg also trained with a real-life U.S. Marine scout sniper,Patrick Garrity, to make sure the firefights depicted in the filmwere as accurate as possible. It was a learning experience in more ways than one. According to Wahlberg, “The training definitely opened my eyes to the importance of being safe and smart as opposed to being reckless like I once was.”
‘Shooter’ Deconstructs the Political Thriller, Particularly the Conspiracy Elements
WhileShooterfeatures plenty of action, Fuqua and Lemkinalso take a realistic look at certain elements that pop up in action thrillers and conspiracy thrillers. Chief among them are the injuries Swagger suffers; a police officer in league with Johnson shoots him twice, which causes him to fall out of a window and crash through a shed. Even though he manages to hijack a car and drive away, he’s still lost a lot of blood to the point where he has to buy materials to make a makeshift IV. And once he’s patched up, he has to switch shooting from his left side to his right side due to his injuries — a welcome respite from the nigh-invulnerable protagonists that tend to be the focus of action films.
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The Adam McKay action comedy also stars Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Eva Mendes, and Samuel L. Jackson.
The same deconstructive action is taken to the idea of a conspiracy…especially since the inciting incident already happened.Swagger learns that Johnson and a U.S. Senator, Charles Meachum (Ned Beatty) wanted the Archbishop dead to cover up their involvement in the razing of an Ethiopian village. What’s more shocking is that Swagger isrevealed to be part of this conspiracy, as he unknowingly killed the contractors who carried out the mission believing that they were enemy soldiers and survived the attempt to tie up “loose ends” that claimed the life of his old spotter. But what’s truly shocking is Swagger’s decision toward the end of the film; he’s cornered Johnson and Meachum, even having a recording of their crimes on tape. He eventually decides to burn said tape, saying that it’s “plutonium” and that he’s not willing to risk others' lives for it, and turns himself in (though he’s eventually exonerated). Most conspiracy thrillers usually end with the protagonist victorious and the conspiracy exposed;Shootershows that it’s not that easy.
Mark Walhberg Produced a ‘Shooter’ TV Series With Star Ryan Phillipe
Even with its unique blend of political commentary and action-movie shootouts,Shooterreceived a mixed reception.Some critics felt that the action masked thin characterization, while others felt it was a bold reflection of the mid-2000’s political landscape (one review even put forth the theory thatMeachum was a stand-infor then-Vice PresidentDick Cheney). The fact that it released on the same weekend as300didn’t help matters, asZack Snyder’s gory Greek epic topped the box office. YetShooterinspired a USA Network series of the same name. Wahlberg stepped into the role of executive producer, withRyan Phillipeplaying Swagger. The TV series kept the same plot elements as the film for its first season, butthe next two seasonswould adapt other Stephen Hunter novels, keeping the same blend of politics and action that fueled the film.
Shooteris still a standout in both Mark Wahlberg and Antoine Fuqua’s respective bodies of work. Wahlberg turned in a performance that’s been missing from his recent projects, while Fuqua would return to the same idea of a skilled warrior seeking justice in hisEqualizertrilogy. It’s also a reminder that in the right hands, an action thriller can be truly thrilling and deliver a story that no one is expecting.
Shooter follows a highly skilled marksman who is coaxed out of retirement for a mission to thwart an assassination plot against the President. However, he finds himself framed for the attempt, prompting a perilous journey to clear his name while uncovering a deeper conspiracy.
Shooteris available to rent on Prime Video in the U.S.
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