Sniper 3

The third stop in the series. Likely Tom Berenger's last go round. A story that nicely comes full circle, Sniper 3 ends up being the next best thing to the original and far and away the best sequel. The original established mood, tone, character and such. I like it a lot, good flick. Sniper 2 didn't do much right in my book. It's sole asset was its brief expansion on Beckett's character. Finally what is there to say about Sniper 4; aka Reloaded? Hi Billy Zane, maybe? Nice to see Miller again.

I won't rundown the story to Sniper 3 like it's epic. It's not, but besides being serviceable - it opens up plenty on Beckett's character, background and isn't that what we tune in for at this point in the road? Yes, the return to it's jungle roots (so to speak) is welcomed, the supporting cast is decent and the sniping portions of the movie feel right, but Beckett's up and down slope is this sequel's strongest asset. Weak spots? Every sequel has dealt lies and predictable betrayal and this one's no different. Oh and taking out a rival sniper with a handgun from quite a distance. That scene made me wince.

The casual moviegoer can rightfully be excused for perceiving Sniper 3 as nothing more than another dtv offering, but fans of the series will want to give it a go. I enjoyed the opening and the finale's efficient ending with what I perceived to be a wink and nod to the original. I went in with lowered expectations because of Sniper 2, but 3 delivered. A good bookend to Beckett's saga.

I liked the casting choices. Of course Tom Berenger is the perfect actor but John Doman, Denis Arndt, William Duffy and especially Byron Mann were convincing in their characters. The Vietnamese cast and crew were phenomenal. I liked the very well-written story, no loose ends. All the information that was told in the story was used with it's conclusions. I like the location choices in Vietnam. I loved the music (WOW). There was a Southeast Asian theme but not over the top stereotypical. The music was hip and matched the screens of the movie. I like the cinematography. The lighting at the dock with Quan and the informant, spooky. Great job, really !!

Sniper was a solid and moody thriller boosted by some top notch action sequences. Sniper 2 proved to be a very solid sequel and not that far behind the original. Sniper 3 is every bit as good as, if not slightly better, than part 2 as it expands somewhat on Beckett and gives you more of an insight into this interesting character.

Retired Marine sniper Beckett, now teaching this profession, is given a one off assignment; track down an kill and old friend who's been supplying weapons to the enemy.

The action scenes are good, production values surprisingly good, the story is mostly well written and the film is fast paced. These are all qualities that make a decent film and Sniper 3 is definitely a very decent action/thriller. Tom Berenger adds more layers to Beckett's character and gives a very good performance.

The Sniper trilogy is well worth watching, every movie has something going for it.

While this is certainly low budget, the producers and director did something special that set this one apart: they got a good script AND good actors. Tom Beringer and Byron Mann headed up a cast that took what little money was thrown into this movie and brought it up to the level of many films that have found their way into the local cinema. Even surpassed a lot of them. They took a very well written script and squeezed every drop out of it that they could and made a very enjoyable film to boot. Could it have been better? Sure. The production values could have been better if a few more bucks had come their way. But given the limitations: this movie rocked!

SNIPER 3 is pretty exciting and well-crafted B-flick, shot by promising once-indie filmmaker PJ Pesce who wound up nailing great direct-to-video sequels. The theatrical feature SNIPER opened the nineties and now it seems it was directed by the guy who is way inferior to the ones credited on the sequels. First off it was Craig Buxley who turned SNIPER 2 into a well-made inventive low-budgeteer. Here comes Pesce who adds vintage eighties muscle into the typical Cannon MISSING IN ACTION Vietnam setting. Pesce knows his pulp and is proud to show it. Berenger is experienced and he can do such roles in his sleep while Byron Mann remains one of the greatest underused martial arts heroes after Invincible and BELLY OF THE BEAST.

SNIPER 3 is more than a worth rental.

When it comes to owning it, I recommend buying it when the price drops. A definite VHS pick if you stumble upon it on cable.