Sniper: Legacy (2014)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

SNIPER: LEGACY is, I think, the fifth in the endless SNIPER series of straight-to-video action thrillers. This one features Tom Berenger heavily in the advertising but his role is reduced to little more than an extended cameo. The film is something of an interminable mess with a lot of gritty action but a plot that meanders all over the place. A bad guy sniper is taking out military brass so Berenger's son is called in to go up against him. He's also lied to that his father was a victim, which turns out not to be the case. Although this film is superficially entertaining it lacks proper filmic qualities and feels very digital and digitised, with little that sees it standing out from the crowd.

Not sure what all the hate is about here. A good film with some beautiful scenery and well-constructed action sequences.Nothing groundbreaking by any means, but Chad Michael Collins as Brandon Beckett is a pretty good lead actor for this reborn franchise. Loved the partnership he has with his female spotter, which was a plot device I didn't expect. Here's hoping it gets explored further as the franchise continues.Seeing a grizzled Tom Berenger as Thomas Beckett back in action, putting the Sniper franchise's two leading men - father and son - on the screen together for the first time.

Sniper, released in 1993, was an intense action thriller that was quite enjoyable. Every sequel released since has ranged from below average to poor. This movie is certainly below average.The entire movie seems dated and derivative. Also I found that the entire movie was riddled with plot holes that could have easily been the work of artillery and not a sniper rifle. Even some of the characters I found to be unlikeable in which I didn't really care for them in the slightest. I certainly had a feeling that that this movie was done before with a mix of The Jackal, Behind Enemy Lines, and elements of the previous Sniper movies added to make this movie. Chad Michael Collins as Brendan Beckett came across as a rebellious, gung-ho pretty boy who has similar traits as his famous father. Tom Berenger who returns in his role as former Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett (now retired) is unfortunately far too old, despite his appearance two-thirds into the movie. Perhaps it may be time for Thomas Beckett to call it a day.Unless you are a fan of the Sniper movies, give this movie a miss.3/10

It really is amazing to how some franchises continue to thrive on after so long. Sniper (1993), Sniper 2 (2002) & Sniper 3 (2004) were all films that belonged to actor Tom Berenger. As Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett, Berenger solidified his presence as the man behind this franchise. There's no other way to explain it, the Sniper film series must have a loyal following. And although the quality did slip initially, the stories have slowly progressed into a decent franchise. Fans were even more surprised when producers released Sniper: Reloaded (2011) with no Berenger but instead brought in young actor Chad Michael Collins and veteran actor from the original, Billy Zane. Not only did it surpass its two previous entries but also it brought up questions to how it would continue after that. Well here we are and wow. Another solid entry even though it did not exceed Sniper: Reloaded (2011).Characters are hard to revive, especially when they go AWOL. Yet, this movie somehow achieves this in Tron: Legacy (2010) fashion (coincidentally along with the title). Out of nowhere, Beckett (Berenger) returns to greatness teaming up with his son and others to take out a deadly assassin who has gone rogue. If there's one character fans will be most happy to see, it's Tom Berenger. To be honest, with the previous movie I thought Berenger was done with the franchise. Apparently not and the interesting thing is, it's like Berenger never stopped being Beckett. He hasn't lost the attitude nor the mannerisms. As for others, Chad Michael Collins continues to be competent in his acting ability and its nice to see him finally meet up with his long lost father. Sadly, the topic of characters is where John Fasano's writing falters.Even though audiences will finally see Brandon and Tom Beckett reunited, there are several missed opportunities for proper character development of these individuals. For example, where has Beckett been? Why did he leave Brandon? These are crucial questions to help the Beckett family reconcile past problems. Instead, it is initiated but scooted aside abruptly. Most audiences want an emotional attachment to their characters. By brushing it aside, your brushing aside what makes the character the character. There's also issues of unexplained plot holes. Questions like does he still have that finger stigmatism that began giving him problems from Sniper 3 (2004)? What happened to Lieutenant Ellen Abramowitz (Brandon's secret lover) and Richard Miller (Billy Zane) from Sniper: Reloaded (2011)? All these questions needed were quick logical answers, but are ignored through and through. The late Fasano was a decent writer, I guess going over these particular matters were not accepted by the producers or director Don Michael Paul. I don't know who, but they should've gone in this direction for a little bit.Any of the new characters like Doug Allen, Dennis Haysbert, Dominic Mafham and Mercedes Mason perform respectively. It would've been nice though if the story stuck with one girl because Mason's character comes off like a love interest to Brandon but doesn't express it. If she was in Sniper: Reloaded (2011) then it would not have mattered because the audience would be able to remember from the prior film her relationship with Brandon. The same goes for the actress who played Lieutenant Ellen Abramowitz in the last sequel. Dominic Mafham had an interesting character portrayal. He resembled that of a good knock-off of Clive Owen. Dennis Haysbert doesn't get heavily involved but he does play a significant role and that's appreciated.The action was nicely paced throughout. It was not as bloody as Sniper: Reloaded (2011) but it still entertained. This time, the action also included several firefights. Not just between Snipers but AK-47s and other hand-held machine guns. As for camera-work, Martin Chichov achieved some beautiful scenery such as shorelines, urban terrain and grasslands. It's also nice how each Sniper film has changed locations around the entire world. Sniper (1993) was in Central America, Sniper 2 (2002) was in Europe, Sniper 3 (2004) was in Asia, Sniper: Reloaded (2011) was in Africa and this film takes place in the Middle East. The music by Frederik Wiedmann was appropriate. When there was action there was plenty of strings and percussion. But because there were barely any emotional scenes, it was hard to hear anything soft enough. However, because of the location Wiedmann did include several tracks that sounded appropriate for the setting and it felt authentic. It's not the best sequel but it is a good one.It's writing misses several moments to develop its characters the way they should be, along with unexplained details from the last entry. Yet, the return of Tom Berenger feels too gratifying to be upset over for too long. The actors perform decently, the action, music and camera-work are all well staged.