Sniper: Ghost Shooter (2016 Video) User Reviews

General dullness punctuated with moments of not quite so dull

[Ross_A_Hall · 4/10 · 31 March 2020]

Sniper was a good action film. It moved along at a decent pace, played the tension between old hand and up-and-coming newbie well and threw in a fair amount of tension.

In accordance with the law of diminishing returns, this one barely registers. Sure, if you like mindless running around "having a gunfight" every 20 minutes with people taking impossible shots and dying in "throw your arms and legs out" style you'll probably enjoy it.

If you're looking for a half decent plot, characters who are bit more than 2 dimensions and a "twist" that doesn't telegraph its arrival in neon lights then look elsewhere.

That's Allstate's Stand

[freemanpatrick7 · 5/10 · 4 January 2017]

I watched this on a bootleg site that was all written in Arabic. The copy of the DVD had Arabic subtitles. I couldn't help wondering how that audience receives a movie like this, let alone do they enjoy watching it? Maybe they don't care, they just pirate the movies and make their money.

Anyway, I've been out of the "Sniper" loop since about the second one (What are we on now? 12?) so I needed to do a little catching up. I have to say that this wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Sure the visual fx were pretty cheesy and the dialog was, at times, embarrassing. But over all it far surpassed anything Steven Seagal has done in the last decade or so (with the possible exception of The Cockpuncher) So, in doing a little research I discovered that just about anyone associated with these films is either trying to get a career started or pretending their career isn't yet over.

There was, in fact some decent acting. You can tell a good actor when he delivers the cheesiest line in a way that almost makes you believe him (or her)

But the one overlying factor was that whenever Dennis Haysbert was on screen I kept expecting him to say, "That's Allstate's stand. Are you in good hands?"

What is missing in this film was a military advisor

[gliderguy · 5/10 · 15 April 2021]

Then it might have made more sense. It goes from little details like throwing a small bit of camouflage over just the rifle's scope (why bother?) to breaking the world's best encryption with a field laptop (WTF?). I, too, was waiting for the inflatable boats to be sunk by mini-gun fire from Apache attack helicopters. They must be using a brand-new armor plated rubber. And what's with those bad guys standing on a porch being picked off one by one by the sniper protagonist when there is a door for them to run thru and take cover? Snipers generally work solo, and for good reason - not in squads. Some were in ghillie suits, but most were not.

Sniper: Ghost Shooter is a very light duty action flick to be watched if nothing better is available.

Bad

[edmo66 · 1/10 · 26 August 2016]

If you're prior military DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE! If they used any military advisors in this film I would be surprised. From the number of snipers, they use teams from all branches of the military, their appearance, haircuts, facial hair (most men should have beards not neat stubble ) & techniques (barely any cover, not sure of targets, too much movement, too much talking via radio) to weapons used UAV's, missiles, & firearms. They fired a missile at enemy troops. Considering the cost of around $70,000 this would be overkill not to mention a Geneva Convention violation. So much wrong I couldn't get through the entire thing. If you can get past the Top Gun scenes and the inflatable boats that don't sink even though the crew in them have been shot numerous times then this movie may be quite entertaining for you.

Surprisingly good - don't let current star rating lead you astray

[therealscottmerrill · 7/10 · 30 March 2020]

As former military, I'm particular about realism. Although this movie had it's share of cinematic liberty, for a sniper movie, it was actually quite good. As soon as I saw "Billy Zane" in the opening credits, I groaned a little. He has matured quite a bit since "Sniper"...plus, they didn't play up the role of GMSgt "Gunny" Beckett too much (the lead role is his son, Brandon Beckett), so that made it less like a sequel and more like a continuing story line. It was just a good, action-packed "heavy on the sniper action" flick. If you like military movies, specifically sniper movies, you'll enjoy it. You won't say it's the best sniper movie ever, but you'll watch it to the end without puking.

Not as good as Shooter (Mark Wahlberg), not as good as the original Sniper (Tom Berenger), but a darn close third place, with every other sniper movie falling way behind IMHO. A little too much cheese at times, but countered with some slightly comedic moments (the Russian talking about John McClane from Die Hard...yippie-ki-yay, MF'er, etc). It had it's snicker moments for sure, but pretty much action-packed from beginning to end, which I love.

Overall, a definite watch. Maybe not a "keep forever and watch again and again", but unless you're one of those people who want to dissect cinematography (really well done here), or the director's mood or previous works and how it compares, you'll enjoy it for what it is. Lots of sniper shots, lots of "Semper Fi" moments, and just a decent movie. I'd watch it again, but not anytime soon.

Read all the 5-7 star reviews and you got it pegged.

[cerivs-29558 · 5/10 · 27 December 2020]

A fair supporting cast doing a mediocre job for a very stiff main carachter.

The" love" interest angle was awful as it didn't make sense as does part of the plot but you realize the reason for the 1st half while watching the rest of it. It was just poorly planned, or written and directed. It fought itself.

The movie only comes together during the 2nd half, if you get that far, as technically the gunplay doesn't make sense either, that is if you have any military or police experience, so make sure to turn off your brain (or have a very strong alcoholic beverage so you don't care.) Remember to turn on the 'closed caption' at the beginning otherwise you won't get any of the dialog as the loud ethnic music drowns out the speaking parts and you spend most of the movie thinking 'wtf did he just say?' Oh, and the main carachter speaks with clenched teeth which doesn't help his dialog and it comes off forced and uncharismatic, instead of tough. Haysbert and Zane, and the foreign counterpart assigned to the team are what hold the film together but I couldn't refrain from thinking throughout the whole thing that I could have been watching reruns of "the unit" and had a better time.

GREAT ACTION, WEIRD PLOTTING

[r-angle · 7/10 · 4 February 2023]

I enjoyed this movie pretty much. Fun to watch, and I am very picky Great look, great production values, great settings, good action, lots of bad guys get killed, satisfying shooting, good feel to it overall. (SPOILER ALERT) But I have a plot question. The hot blonde lures our hero into a trap, early on. Then the killer gets zipped. But the hot blonde could not have known Bidwell was there or could stop the shooter in time. So it doesn't make sense. We never see Bidwell and the blonde together. So I kept expecting the hot blonde to turn out to be a traitor. Confusing. Anyway, I'd give it a B. Not perfect, but fun.

Is this the best the US military can do? Seriously?

[tkarlmann · 2/10 · 15 January 2021]

The first OP, at the beginning of this film was a horrible waste of men & resources! They apparently 'required': four snipers, 2-3 helicopters and a drone strike to take out about a dozen 'Bad Guys' -- about to execute 4 American hostages. Even WITH all this firepower, snipers are in-place and helos at the ready, one hostage get his throat slit; and I wasn't sure about the other three.

All this training, all this equipment, all this offensive power -- STILL several bad guys get away, some in boats, others perhaps in a truck.

I'm no expert, but is there any sane reason why each sniper could not have a separate target during the initial shots fired? Not to do so allowed everyone to scatter and shoot back.

This may be a good film; but after that pathetic initial incident, I simply could not watch any more of the film. I gave the film 2 stars because they were talking snipers -- but, alas, not Common Sense!

"Sniper: Ghost Shooter" - Much Better Than I Expected.

[jaybizman · 7/10 · 15 April 2021]

From IMDB - "Snipers ordered to protect a gas pipeline from terrorists suspect a security breach when they're targeted by a ghost shooter who knows their location."

This, IMO, is a pretty good action movie. Once it gets going it moves along at a pretty crackling case. Basically a unit of US Army snipers on various duties in and around Turkey.

Great scenery and the 'what' in the plot is ... how are the Insurgents able to track their positions, making them sitting ducks? Watch and see for yourself.

So although no Oscar winner - it's worthy of a 7/10.

Garbage!

[sggoducks · 3/10 · 5 April 2021]

This movie is pure garbage. The acting is terrible, the story line and writing is gawd awful, the directing is brutal and music score is just off. If your looking for action this movie has it, but it's definitely a hard watch. I suggest not wasting an hour and a half of your life on this movie.

Good movie

[theFIRSTfuckinGAGE · 8/10 · 4 November 2018]

Great acting. Great effects. Right amount of action and Gore.

Mindless fun sequel but beginning to slip again

[breakdownthatfilm-blogspot-com · 6/10 · 4 September 2016]

It's amazing that the Tom Berenger / Billy Zane thriller Sniper (1993) franchise has made it this far. Has this series cultivated a secret fanbase? Or do the producers believe there is a fanbase and keep on making sequels anyway? It just seems hard to believe that the first film would have made such an impact on viewers. It was well executed movie yes but the crew attached didn't have filmmakers like Steven Spielberg or Clint Eastwood in the director's chair. The man behind the first film was Luis Llosa, the director of The Specialist (1994) and Anaconda (1997). These were both films that people viewed as fairly silly movies. This is probably Llosa's best entry in American cinema but it still won't hold a flame to a lot of other well made popular films. When a series like this has gotten this far in making sequels with no public critical reception, it truly is an anomaly. So how does this sixth entry hold up in the array of sniper films? Well it certainly isn't unwatchable,...yet. Thankfully it works but it has warning signs.

Directed again by Don Michael Paul from Sniper: Legacy (2014), fans are once again brought back to Sgt. Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins) in the field doing what he does best. Unfortunately after hesitating on an assignment and lashing out at another officer, Richard Miller (Billy Zane) puts him on probation with Russian sniper Andrei Mashkov (Ravil Isyanov). Meanwhile the Colonel (Dennis Haysbert) and assistant lead Robin Slater (Stephanie Vogt) try to find a "ghost shooter" by the name of Gazakov (Velislav Pavlov) who's looking to stop a certain business pipeline. Written this time by Chris Hauty, the screenplay works to some degree but fails to make certain connections clear and answer some questions. For Hauty, this is his fifth writing credit of which this is his first related work to this series. This is possible as to why not everything is clear, but Hauty has written for three other sequels so he should have had some idea as to what constituted as a narrative that continued the story at an engaging level.

Unsuccessfully this isn't the case here. Hauty's inclusion of the probation period for Beckett was okay until it became unnecessarily extended for an action shootout sequence. That in fact could have been substituted in for time with Beckett's other team members like Barnes (Enoch Frost), Cervantes (Nick Gomez), Aungst (Presciliana Esparolini) or just cut it out completely. Ravil Isyanov as Mashkov does have some comical quips with Beckett but the development really should have went to somebody closer. Then there's no explanation for missing persons. What happened to Sanaa (Mercedes Mason) from Sniper: Legacy (2014) or even Beckett Sr. (Tom Berenger) for that matter? Where did these characters vanish to? Where's the consistency? When starting the second trilogy, you brought on Billy Zane, then dropped him for Tom Berenger and then did the reverse again? Fans should demand to see Billy Zane and Tom Berenger on the same screen again. Those are the two old men who started it all, so get them on the same screen.

Now although Zane and Berenger are still not on screen together, Billy Zane returning as Richard Miller is still acceptable. Zane still looks like he's having fun in the role and enjoys playing the sarcastic wise cracking supervisor of Beckett's son. Miller even has a few comments that don't even really make sense but the way he says it is anyway. When it comes to Beckett Jr.'s team, few of them get much development. Sure they have a few moments of flare but nothing really makes the viewer want to see more of them and hope they survive all the shootouts. Of the members, only Cervantes (Nick Gomez) has some kind of arc. Everyone else is just kind of there. As for other actors, there's also appearances from Dominic Mafham and Navid Negahban as a blind connection to Gasakov. Negahban playing a blind man had a great look. Foggy contacts make him look like someone who's real clever and full of knowledge. Mafham as Bidwell "Bulletface" sadly gets less screen time than he did before but when he is shown, it's good to see him.

Action sequences were well executed again. There might've been not as much carnage edited in but it still got fairly messy. The shooting throughout this film is quite abundant so there's bound to be explosions and RPGs. In addition, there are also drones in which are used in firing missiles. Those perhaps are the weakest looking parts because obviously they wouldn't have real drones. The camera-work provided by Martin Chichov looked good. It wasn't easy to tell what was green screen and what was actually filmed. Much of the scenery looked authentic and shot on sight. The film also may not be the ultimate widescreen but there is a number of establishing shots that get a lot of the landscape and it looks great. Composing the musical score for the second time in this franchise was Frederik Wiedmann. Regrettably again, Wiedmann does not have or bother to create a memorable main cue for this franchise but that thought seems to have died long ago. As for music in general, it's decently composed with guitar and Middle Eastern instruments.

Now that this series has completed its second trilogy, maybe the producers and filmmakers can get back to basics once more. The main actors, music, action and camera-work are fun but it's all brainless. The connections are lazily tacked in and some scenes could've been utilized more efficiently.

Teen Fantasy, nothing more

[svtcobra331 · 4/10 · 10 April 2021]

The cliches in this movie were cringeworthy: The tough black leader, the smug wet-dream tight pants gal sporting cleavage, all the gizmos available to today's snipers, evil badguys, combat scenes where nobody surrenders.

The story was ok if light. The scenery was fantastic. The gun battles were noise and there was no doubt that the protagonist would survive.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a typical sniper goes after a high value target, lying in wait for days.... they don't typically engage in open combat against formations with automatic weapons. And the movie failed to make the battle scenes relevant. If the guy with the .50 BMG is 1500 yards away from the AK-47 flunkies, then it's target practice for him and a waste of ammo for the AKs. But one wonders why the AKs are even firing if they're not likely to hit the sniper. In short, the battle scenes are not well thought out.

And the teen fantasy of the gorgeous gal with painted on clothes throwing herself at the protagonist, especially the final scene, when she "wanted to talk to him", yet as he arrives she's facing away, firm high buttocks and all. And she needed to tell him that he was right... stroke that male ego of his.

Compare this male/female interaction to another teen fantasy, Jack Ryan, when he's working with the French gal cop. There is respect between the two and it is a healthier way to tell a story.

Decent potential storyline, poorly executed and acted.

[bbsherman · 4/10 · 11 April 2021]

Just ugh. Had the potential to be much better. Good location scenes. Poor casting or marginal actors or both.

Loved it!!!!

[Dimple67 · 6 April 2021]

Solid Sniper movie with international intrigue and good action! Missed Berenger but Zane filled the gap!

Great plot, great action, poor dialog

[martin-254 · 6/10 · 1 February 2020]

Some performances not so good, one or two special effects could be better, quite a bit of corny dialog. Would have been really good if not for those things. Well worth watching as long as you don't take it seriously and you like action movies with lots of shooting and blood. Some reviewers have said some of the things would never happen like that. They probably didn't like Die Hard either.

poor movie

[melika-beauty · 1/10 · 27 August 2016]

very poor movie in 2016 very abnormal movements from actors very cheap and boring screenplay Very Bad and poor Special effects very weak movie very..... very poor movie in 2016 very abnormal movements from actors very cheap and boring screenplay Very Bad and poor Special effects very weak movie very..... very poor movie in 2016 very abnormal movements from actors very cheap and boring screenplay Very Bad and poor Special effects very weak movie very..... very poor movie in 2016 very abnormal movements from actors very cheap and boring screenplay Very Bad and poor Special effects very weak movie very..... very poor movie in 2016 very abnormal movements from actors very cheap and boring screenplay Very Bad and poor Special effects very weak movie very.....

Sniper Backett become sniper!

[saptesh786 · 6/10 · 23 June 2020]

Perhaps this is starting of Brandon Beckett as sniper. Story based on sniper's life, his initial kill and then real ground sniping drama. Most of part is on thrill of sniper.

Good actioner but no star quality in sight

[shakercoola · 4/10 · 26 March 2019]

An American action-thriller. The sixth film in the Sniper film series follows two of the three recurring characters, Gunnery Sergeant Brandon Beckett and his boss Richard Miller of the Force Reconnaissance Scout Snipers in United States Marine Corps. The story is about snipers who are tasked with protecting a Georgian gas pipeline from Arab sponsored terrorists. Mystery unfolds when a security breach is suspected when their exact location is being tracked. This is a standard issue actioner with little depth in story. Special effects are low-grade, tension never tightens but the plot and locations sustain interest for the viewer.

blood fx person must have taken most of the budget

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 11 April 2023]

A special ops marine unit is called in to protect a georgian pipeline. But the bad guys always seem to know where they are. Are there moles in their group? Beckett has a spotty record, and a temper, but he's a smart guy. Most of the time. He knows the militants have some technology they are using to locate them, but of course his superiors won't entertain the possibility. SO many people getting shot in the head! This definitely has flaws in the science and explanations. Too bad. Someone should have done more research. But on the plus side, both sides take big losses in the gun battles. In so many films, only the bad guys ever take any hits. The colonel calling the shots on the operation is played by dennis haysbert, the allstate insurance guy! It's not so bad. Script could have been better. And it's unlikely that special ops guys who mess up that frequently would be given so many chances. Directed by don paul.

Things would pick up a bit in the subsequent installment, but we tend to think there isn't a lot of ammo left in the chamber.

[tarbosh22000 · 5/10 · 16 June 2019]

Brandon Beckett (Collins) and Richard Miller (Zane) return yet again for another look through the reticule, this time tasked with protecting a gas pipeline in Turkey and Eastern Europe from terrorists. When Beckett mouths off to his superior officer, he's sent to the high reaches of the Caucasus Mountains so he can go snipe in the snow. It's there he links up with some local snipers who want to join the fight against the baddies. Meanwhile, Colonel (that's all he's credited as) (Haysbert) is running things from behind the scenes. Will the team all get along? Will they fight against one more evil sniper? Who will make it to the next sequel? Find out today...?

So here we are on the sixth and, as of this writing, penultimate film in the inexplicably lengthy Sniper film series. Honestly, we're running out of things to say. We're trying hard not to be repetitive. I mean, we're trying hard not to be repetitive. But obviously we're putting more effort into that endeavor than the makers of the Sniper series are. We're now at Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street levels in the sequel sweepstakes. Who knew?

Sure, Ghost Shooter commits a couple of the seven deadly DTV sins we're always railing against, such as the fact that there's no one strong, central villain, there is an over-reliance on CGI, such as in the computerized blood, smoke, missiles and, in an especially ridiculous moment, a CGI helicopter, and there are many scenes in darkness where no lights are turned on or, evidently, even considered to be important.

The plot is weak and character development is nil. Chad Michael Collins is, you guessed it, still bland and faceless. All that being said, the movie isn't a total trainwreck; Billy Zane, as usual, enlivens the proceedings, seemingly effortlessly. Dennis Haysbert's presence is also not just welcome, but desperately needed to give life to what we're seeing onscreen. Dominic Mafham isn't in it that much but he adds something to the scenes he's in. The locations are picturesque, and we get references to current events when our heroes fight ISIS. There's even a nod to the old school with a couple of guard tower falls.

It should be noted that the main bone of contention as it relates to all the conflict and action is called the Gazsnab Pumping Station. A lot of people get shot over something with such a funny name.

Of course, there's a lot of shooting and sniping action (with all the military jargon that would imply), but without any suspense or character development, it gets boring fast. Things would pick up a bit in the subsequent installment, but we tend to think there isn't a lot of ammo left in the chamber.

A Class Act all the way through

[brutzel · 9/10 · 20 August 2016]

Sniper Brandon Beckett (Collins) is assigned to protect an oil pipeline, but a Ghost Sniper shoots and kills some of his team. Who is it? Beckett feels someone on his side is giving the enemy sniper coordinates, and, of course, this doesn't go over big with his superiors. Oh, oh.

This is probably one of the best sniper movies to come along in a long time. The acting, cinematography, photography and the music were all sensational and quite engaging. It was like watching a Bond, James Bond movie without it being so. In other words, this is a class act all the way through. Kudos.

Nice to see Dennis Haysbert as the Colonel or Arch Angel as we do miss the popular TV show The Unit he starred in.

A breath of fresh air and some can consider this Comic Relief with Ravil Aisyanov as Andrei when Beckett is assigned to his team for a short while. Andrei conjures up memories of Bruce Willis' character John McClane in Die Hard when he mimics McClane to Beckett's amusement. Great job by Ravil Aisyanov. (9/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

Keep Your Expectations In Check

[refinedsugar · 6/10 · 14 May 2023]

I've kept up with the 'Sniper' series and watch each entry as it arrives and although none have come close to meeting or surpassing the level set by the original, they make alright watches to varying degrees. I'm happy to include 'Ghost Shooter' among the list of decent sequels partly because the action delivers, the story is sufficient and Miller (Zane) is back once more.

I read a lot of people getting bent out of shape because the movie isn't realistic in military tactics, uniforms, etc. I think they need a reminder that movies aren't real life and they're watching a dtv sequel cheapie. This isn't an armed forces documentary. The story of Beckett Jr (Chad Michael Collins) and the return of Miller (Billy Zane) being tasked with protecting an oil pipeline is serviceable.

"The Colonel" (Dennis Haysbert) returns to oversee the mission as does Major Bidwell (Dominic Mafham). There's plenty of sniper moments, good action, another change in scenery, light humor and some decent cinematography. An element of possible inside betrayal is effective as friendly snipers get picked off like the enemy already knows their exact location.

If you've been following the series and enjoy the continuing saga of Brandon Beckett and the familiar faces that come and go, this sequel is mildly satisfying. 'Ghost Shooter' might not have high replay value, but it entertains and checks the necessary boxes for a flick about skilled men making long distance shots.

Good for a mindless watch

[Shadowking1001 · 4/10 · 13 April 2021]

Gave it a solid 4-star rating for good location, cinematography and effects. Negatives are weak story, even weaker acting and annoying cliche-filled dialogue/situations. The script decides to throw in a totally useless character in the form of a blonde agent who prances around wearing tight fitting clothes in the heart of a Muslim country - not very discreet. I guess someone wanted a love interest for the robotic lead actor, but after initiating it, everyone seemed to have forgotten about it and abruptly moved on! This is just one instance of the rather lame and disjointed movie-making you see in this film.

In summary, this movie is good for a distracted afternoon watch. If you missed something while watching, no harm done. No need to rewind, you can just continue watching and easily catch-up. There is not that much substance in this movie.

They amped up the action here...

[paul_haakonsen · 5/10 · 5 December 2023]

I happened to stumble upon the 2016 movie "Sniper: Ghost Shooter" by random chance here in 2023. And seeing Billy Zane returning again to the "Sniper" franchise, of course I opted to sit down and watch what director Don Michael Paul had to offer.

As for the storyline and script in "Sniper: Ghost Shooter", then writers Michael Frost Beckner, Crash Leyland and Chris Hauty put together an enjoyable and entertaining enough script. It wasn't the best of storylines in the "Sniper" franchise, but it was enjoyable for what it turned out to be; that being a rather action-packed storyline. There wasn't any twists or plot surprises for the 99 minutes that the movie ran for, which made it a fairly predictable and a bit generic storyline, actually.

The acting performances in the movie were good, and it definitely was nice to see Billy Zane return to reprise the role of Richard Miller again. The movie also had some other familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of Chad Michael Collins and Dennis Haysbert. All in all, I will say that the entire cast ensemble in the movie put on good performances to bring both the storyline and the characters to life on the screen.

There is actually a good amount of action throughout the course of the movie, to the extend where it starts to feel like a war movie, given all the skirmishes that the snipers were in, fighting against adversaries with fully automatic weapons and rocket launchers. It was a shame that the writers opted for this approach, as it became more of an action-oriented movie, instead of the lie-in-wait-and-wait-for-the-shot movie that the 1993 first movie "Sniper" in the franchise was. Sure, the action was good, and the movie was certainly entertaining enough for what it was. Just don't go about expecting an archetypical sniper type of movie.

My rating of "Sniper: Ghost Shooter", from director Don Michael Paul, lands on a five out of ten stars.