Sniper: The Last Stand

This is the latest installment from the Sniper franchise. Gun fights and explosions as per usual. It was so repetitive that I soon nodded off. Waking up I see they were yet in another gun fight. Although some how despite the movie name there is very little sniper action.

The opening scene had introduced a James Bond type villain. He is killed off immediately and the entirety of the movie is the squad fighting off a mob of nameless militia fighters converging on them. The hand to hand combat scenes were silly. They slowed down the choreography because these actors were not trained properly. It was like watching an old uncle trying to dance at a wedding. Step one, step two and so on you get the picture.

Want act-ing? Get you some Laurence Olivier. Want act-ion? This is it. Plot? Sure there's a plot. Evil arms dealer, mad scientist, super weapon, ruthless dictator, loyalist militia, elite band of freedom fighters . . . Have you put together the mission yet? Of course you have.

Why didn't the militia bad guys just shoot the brave lady freedom fighter instead of letting her hack eight of them to pieces with twin battle axes? Please.

I just wish all these action stars would listen when I tell them to pick up the fallen bad guy's Kalashnikov instead of trying to fight off the rest of the bad guys with a half-empty SIG.

Kinda corny Butch-and-Sundance ending though. So the director got to have a little fun with us. Grin and bear it.

After the horrendous "Rogue Mission" the franchise took a step forward with 2023's "Sniper: GRIT" and is officially all the way back with "Sniper: The Last Stand", the eleventh movie in what has mostly been a reliable, if somewhat cliched and stereotypical B-movie franchise.

Mercifully and thankfully, this film does away with the cringey alleged-comedy that dotted the last two instalments and returns to the franchise's more serious roots.

Fair to say there isn't as much sniping as you might expect from a movie with the word 'sniper' in the title. However, there's enough bloody, gory action - some of it in John Woo-style slow motion - to sink a ship. Maybe two.

Chad Michael Collins returns from and centre as Brandon Beckett for the eighth time in a row. He was almost being a bit-player in the last two movies, but is unquestionably the star once again, kicking butt and taking names. The dude is a lethal weapon.

Ryan Robbins' Zeke Rosenberg is also back (for the fourth time), and the chemistry between the two is spot on. The character has really grown on me since "Sniper: Assassin's End".

The title makes you wonder if there'll be a twelfth entry in the franchise. Here's hoping that we haven't seen the last of Beckett and Rosenberg in acion.

How do you make a shoot 'em up film boring? Well, they did the seemingly impossible with this latest installment. It was the least engaging of the movies in the franchise. Almost nothing to entertain the viewer. The plot was so bland a third grader could write something more interesting. The dialogue was absolutely atrocious. One boring cliche after another. And the acting. Don't get me started with the terrible acting. Not a single person in the film could act. Where did they find these people? You could pick a dozen folks off the street, dress them up in cammo and feed them the lines. They'd probably do a better job the the 3rd-rate actors who populated this mediocre film.

If you're looking to waste an hour and a half of your time, check this one out. About the only thing they did right was the fighting scenes. Actually, no. They didn't even do that right. It was almost like they were having a contest to see how bloody and gory they could make it.

Just an overall waste of time. You've been warned. The only good thing is this is hopefully the last one they make. Just make it stop!

P. S. Believe all the low ratings. This one is a stinker!

MovieJunkieMark.

Sniper Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) and Agent Zero (Ryan Robbins) are part of a group of elite international soldiers sent to Costa Verde to stop an arms dealer with a superweapon. This opens with a fine action section with the group attacking the final boss. The villain activates his superweapon which throws everyone back. Then the movie goes 48 hours earlier and the audience has to wait. It is a lot of introductions and preparations and training. Very little of it is compelling. The movie loses any pace it had earlier. I do like the Canadian axe fighters for all the old fashion action cheese. The middle is so boring that I would suggest the fast forward button.