Today’s quick review: Sniper: Special Ops. While on a mission to rescue a Congressman taken captive in Afghanistan, Army sniper Jake Chandler (Steven Seagal) gets separated from the rest of his unit, prompting Sergeant Victor Mosby (Tim Abell) to launch an unauthorized mission to go back for him. However, their mission is complicated by the presence of Janet Conrad (Charlene Amoia), an embedded journalist who wants to be at the center of the action.
Sniper: Special Ops is a budget action movie about an elite Army unit that returns to a war zone to rescue one of their comrades. Sniper: Special Ops aims to be a gripping tale of heroism in the face of adversity, but it misses its target by a wide margin. Flimsy acting, a jumbled plot, slow pacing, and half-baked action sequences all undermine what credibility the movie has. The result is a flawed movie that only ever seems to make a token effort.
Sniper: Special Ops has pervasive issues that keep it from working as either an action movie or a war drama. The combat scenes are handicapped by a low budget and a dearth of imagination. Enemies run around with no cover, shots are exchanged without much enthusiasm, and the lack of atmosphere makes the whole thing seem artificial. Sniper: Special Ops does offer the audience a decent amount of action, but it’s never as tense or meaningful as it should be.
The storytelling runs into similar problems. Deliberately or not, Sniper: Special Ops has a plot that sidelines Steven Seagal for almost the whole film, instead focusing on unrelated plot threads while the rescue mission slowly gets underway. The movie attempts to stir up interest by hinting at a larger conspiracy, but the clues Victor notices never actually go anywhere. The whole thing is topped off with dubious performances and an excess of dialogue.
Sniper: Special Ops may hold modest value for fans of the budget action genre, but even there it is outclassed by movies with more skill, creativity, and ambition. The movie manages to avoid any truly atrocious moments, but its frequent mistakes and lack of clear strengths make it a dull watch.
For a war movie that tries something similar to better effect, try Jarhead 2: Field of Fire. For a better look at modern warn, try Act of Valor or The Hurt Locker. For a much more engaging action thriller about a sniper, try Shooter.
3.2 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 4.0 for lackluster action backed by a weak story.