Absolutely the worst movie.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Sniper (1993) This is an action thriller starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane as snipers. Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett (Berenger), Force Reconnaissance Marine, an experienced sniper, is paired up with an inexperienced civilian, Richard Miller (Zane), to eliminate a rebel general financed by a Colombian drug lord. It received mixed, but mostly poor reviews. Nonetheless, it was popular enough with audiences to initiate the Sniper film series. It was followed by six direct-to-video sequels: Sniper 2, Sniper 3, Sniper: Reloaded, Sniper: Legacy, Sniper: Ghost Shooter and Sniper: Ultimate Kill. This is one of the last decent 80's style action movies, before the move to 'straight to video'.

Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett is a sniper stationed in Panama. Although skilled, he has lost several men under his command.Beckett is teamed up with a S.W.A.T. member named Miller, who has not earned any confirmed kills, to eliminate a top Panamanian rebel leader.Tensions emerge between the two on how to conduct the mission, coupled with running into numerous challenges during the mission.....If you were like me, a teenager seeing the trailer and that scene where the bullet goes through the scope and kills the opposing Sniper, you had to see this film.Over twenty years on, it's just Billy Zane going all Dead Calm toward the end, and almost giving away their cover every two minutes.Sniper is a film that the title alone would sell to a market. We all love those parts in action films where we see someone getting taken out from a long distance, and when we play Call Of Duty, the sniper parts are the best.But this is where the film fails, it's like watching someone playing a really bland video game, and they are insisting that they watch the in game scenes because they really add something to the film.Brenger is okay, as is Zane, but we've seen this done before a thousand times.And even if that bit with the scope still impresses today, it does not justify a film.Let alone four sequels.

If one wants to really know what it's like to be a trained killer, this is the movie to see. This film has something going for it and it's quite noticeable once the opening credits start rolling. It is the tone that the music makes and the pace at which the movie runs. Everything else in the film is very much appreciated but these other two elements previously mentioned are the ones that make this thriller spectacular.Sniper is the story of Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger), a marksmen who is at the top of his class for taking out enemies from afar. However, it is not until he is forced to pair up with new guy Richard Miller (Billy Zane) to take out a couple of drug lords. Interestingly enough, Miller's background is intriguing because he was only assigned under Beckett's care for falsely taking credit for killing an enemy soldier with a sniper rifle from a helicopter.The dialog between these two characters is also entertaining. Berenger gives his character a lot of good lines. Much of which deals with the understanding of being a soldier; how to know terrain, how to evade enemies, how to blend in with surroundings, how to coordinate firing, how to know which directions are safe, how to wait for the right moment to shoot and so on. It's awesome to learn the ways of the sniper under Berenger's wing. Zane on the other hand has some funny lines due to his lack of being an experienced sniper. And of course, when these two characters butt heads, it's just like watching a child and their parents argue. The child thinks they know better than their parents do. What's gratifying to know is that the longer they stick together, the closer the become and soon they develop a small relationship that prevents them from arguing as often. Miller learns from Beckett how to be a better sniper and Beckett learns from Miller that he doesn't need to be a sniper for the rest of his life.Another thing that makes Sniper very effective is the set itself. There's no place to get a better feel for wearing camouflage than in the jungles of a central-American country. Adding to this is the pace that the film runs at. If it makes sense, Sniper creeps at a fast speed. It is an oxymoron to say but it does. The way the characters move on screen is slow so to show the style that snipers use to maneuver across landscapes but the transitions between scenes are rather fast to keep the audience locked in its cross-hairs. This is a good technique.As for music goes, the score was composed by Gary Chang, whom I think outdid himself on this film. Although he did have the assistance of Hans Zimmer and Mark Mancina, the credits really belong to Chang. Chang makes the feel of the whole movie super eerie and it's quite chilling to listen to. I've never sat through a movie before and felt so many weird emotions flowing in and out of me just because of listening to the score. And for any of you soundtrack collectors, note that this particular score is not easy to find, so keep your eyes peeled. Altogether, there's nothing you can't like about this film.The whole idea of watching the actions of trained snipers doing their dirty work is exciting all on its own. Berenger and Zane are great at their characters and Gary Chang's score is a rare gem compared to today's movie soundtracks.

I watched this movie back in 1993/1994 when it came out, on VHS back then. And I had a very good memory of it! So I watched an uncut version of it lately. And my memory got clearer. I know why I liked it back then (it does criticize a few things in war, human beings and other things) ...... but I also know now, that it's not one of the best anti-war movies ever made! This might be one of the better Tom Berenger roles (with the B-movie "Substitute") and he really is good in this one. Billy Zane delivers a good performance too. But it still leaves you with a feeling that there could've been more ... if maybe a better director were at hand, this could've been considered a classic! One thing is for sure though: One scene is classic and it has to with a bullet and the camera ... if you watch it, you'll know what I mean!