Sniper: G.R.I.T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team

Not a usually a brainless cheap action fan, but some of these throughout the series offer some entertainment, especially when tired and not really in the mood to blow energy watching something riveting. I just sort of had this one on in the background while cooking and ended up having to pause it several times when I couldn't watch some of the fun action. It's not particularly smart, and comes off a little beefcake, but it is one of the better offerings in the franchise, in my opinion. It's shot pretty clean, with good production value and has some nuance that had me chuckling a bit, more than once- (Intel Pete is always worth a smirk). Decent formula for mindless gory-but-humorous shoot 'em up entertainment. Even a little bit of story for Lady Death. Ultimately, if you have liked some of these in the past, this is now one of the better ones in my opinion.

Another year, another "Sniper" movie, or so it seems. This 2023 movie titled "Sniper: G. R. I. T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team" is actually the tenth movie in the franchise. Believe it or not.

The storyline in this 2023 movie was a bit weak in comparison to some of the other movies, and held up against the 1993 original "Sniper" movie, then this was a whole different league, and not for the better.

Writer and director Oliver Thompson put together a bland storyline. The narrative in the movie was moving forward at a somewhat slow pace. And that made sitting through "Sniper: G. R. I. T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team" somewhat of a mundane ordeal. And for a movie based on snipers, there was a surprisingly little part of the movie's storyline actually devoted to or focused on actual sniping action. Nay, "Sniper: G. R. I. T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team" was more of an action movie than a sniper movie.

There were even some futile attempts at introducing some comedy elements into the movie, which played out with little or no success, to be truthful.

Sure, if you haven't seen other "Sniper" movies, then I suppose this 2023 movie could be considered good.

The acting performances in "Sniper: G. R. I. T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team" were fair enough, and it definitely was a nice enough thing that Chad Michael Collins, Ryan Robbins and Dennis Haysbert returned to reprise their roles from previous movies.

Watchable for the action movie that it was, "Sniper: G. R. I. T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team" somewhat deviated and strayed too far from the original concept of the franchise for my liking.

My rating of writer and director Oliver Thompson's 2023 "Sniper: G. R. I. T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team" movie lands on a five out of ten stars.

What happened to this franchise? It's hard to believe the Sniper franchise has spanned over 31 years with 10 movies but the last two are terrible. I like the cast but the execution, the dialogue and the unfunny jokes ruined this one, just like the previous one. It's hardly about sniping anymore and this one seems to be heavily inspired by videogames like Hitman and Sniper Ghost Warrior and the guards even act like NPC in those games. Even the introduction of the targets are exactly like I have seen in those mentioned games. I mean the action is fine but a lot of scenes are just dumb and ridiculous. If they decide to make another one, please return to your roots.

"Sniper Glint" starts with a title that sets the expectation of an intense, realistic military film centered around sniping tactics and the precision involved in long-range shooting. However, as the film progresses, it becomes increasingly evident that it falls short in terms of accuracy and technical realism. If you're someone who enjoys military movies with attention to detail, this film might feel a bit disappointing. The portrayal of sniper shots, adjustments to scopes, firing distances, and even the sound dynamics of the shots and their delay seem to be poorly executed, leaving viewers with a sense of disbelief.

Initially, one might wonder if the filmmakers intended these inaccuracies as part of a satirical or comedic approach. However, the film does not seem to embrace humor in any way, nor does it appear to use sarcasm effectively. Instead, it seems like a missed opportunity, where the technical errors detract from the tension that a film about sniping should ideally create. If the filmmakers were going for realism or intense drama, the inaccuracies feel jarring. But if they had intended to make a parody, they didn't lean into the comedy enough to make it noticeable or engaging.

Moreover, the choice of name for the main character, particularly the protagonist, feels simplistic and uninspired.

The performances of the actors are generally good, and they seem to do their best. However, it's clear that even the strongest performances can't fully salvage the film when the plot and direction lack coherence.

Without giving away spoilers, the ending is another point of contention. It's the kind of conclusion that leaves viewers scratching their heads, wondering "Why now?" It feels abrupt and disconnected from the rest of the film. It almost seems as though the film's conclusion was hastily tacked on, lacking the necessary emotional payoff or narrative closure to leave a lasting impression.

This was a pleasant surprise, all things considered.

Because the last Sniper movie - Rogue Mission - was so bad that even me, a huge, unapologetic fan of every other entry in the long-running franchise (this is the tenth installment, which is hard to believe), was thinking that, if this was the best they could manage, it should be the last. End it, and leave us with good memories of fun B-grade (in a good way) action films about guys named Beckett!

Thankfully, it wasn't the last one, because Sniper: G. R. I. T. is a welcome return to form. And aren't I happy about it?

If you enjoyed any of the previous Chad Michael Collins films, aside from Rogue Mission, of course, then you'll probably agree.

I realised very early on that everything is better here: the acting, the action, the script, which went in a different direction to what I expected after the first few minutes.

The cast look energised - especially Dennis Haysbert, who is probably seen more in this movie than any other Sniper film he has appeared in - as if looking to provide a mea culpa for their collectively shocking last effort. And, they do.

Is it believable? No. Is it violent escapism action fun? Yes. If this is the standard going forward, I hope there are plenty more Sniper movies to come.