[Review] Sniper

Warning: There might be spoiler ahead

Dante Lam has bring back the former Hong Kong singer, Edison Chen back to the filming world and to boost back and win back the love from the audience and as well to raise Edison Chen confident after the sexual scandal that was spread throughout the Internet last year. I have no idea why to bring him back to the Hong Kong. He has become Hong Kong most hated guy and he was suppose to return to the States and should never return. But in anyway, he did return and this time around, he is the main character of this storyline together with the two other fellow cast - Richie Ren and Huang Xiaoming.

This movie revolves around the Sniper Squad and the best in the team. Hartman (Richie Ren) and Lincoln (Huang Xiaoming) are the two best sniper and shooter in the squad. They were always in the fight to show who’s the best among the squad in the Shooting Competition. Lincoln was named as the best shooter because of his precision and accuracy are very high and no one shoot further away than he did. The best that he could achieve was the record of the entire competition, 500m shooting. Hartman come out short from this where he could only did his best at 400m. Meanwhile, OJ (Edison Chen) was the newest shooter to join in the squad. He was allowed to join this squad because he is fully with confidence and his accuracy was nearly the same heights with Lincoln.

Lincoln who is ready to stop the truck to save the criminal

So, why did Lincoln turn back on his ex-squad member and especially Hartman? During one scenario, where three criminals was threaten to kill the Banker’s son if the money and car to leave from the place has not arrive on time. Lincoln and Shane (Bowie Lam) was in a group while Hartman was with another guy. Both Shane and the unknown guy was the spotter where they see any chance for the sniper to take a shot at the criminals. During once scene, where the criminals decided to pluck out the trigger, Lincoln see there is a chance to take a shot. He shot out without any command from his supervisor and it doesn’t not hit the criminal but instead hitting the Banker’s son.

The criminal (right) with his brother was the one Lincoln wanted to avenge

Later, Lincoln was put on an investigation on that shot. He insisted that he saw there is an opening but the rest of the squad denied that they see a chance was there. Lincoln was then sentences to jail for four years for killing not on purpose. Four years later, Lincoln was released from the jail and the only thing that is in his mind was to kill the criminal and pay his revenge on Hartman. Lincoln was helping in far from the sight to save the criminal. The main purpose out of it was very simple, to kill him with his accuracy this time around.

Salute to the fall of the comrades - Shane, Hartman’s best friend. 

The criminal was later shot to death by Lincoln. It was later a battle between the top two shooter in the squad. Lincoln against Hartman. Hartman was ordered by his Chief to settle and catch Lincoln and preventing him from bombing a car. In a garage that is full of disposable car, Lincoln is hiding somewhere to prevent himself from being seen by the squad. Then, he begin to shoot all his comrades, and left OJ, Hartman and another comrade. Hartman spotted Lincoln and both shoot at the same time. Both was injured but Hartman takes more than Lincoln did. So down to two. The other comrade rush for Lincoln but then he was shot at the leg. He was injured as well. And this means an one-on-one contest between the OJ and Lincoln.

Lincoln was shoot to death after being distracted by Hartman, shot taken by OJ

Hartman decided to risk his life and distract Lincoln so that OJ could take the shot. Finally both Hartman and Lincoln was dead along side would be Shane who was killed earlier after being kidnapped by Lincoln and was shoot to death. That’s the end of the story.

Edison Chen has not many scene in the movie and the main target of this film was only on the two top sniper. Along with that, Edison Chen still not really acceptable just yet but the Hongkies after his sexual scandal was exposed. Meanwhile, Richie Ren still need to improve on his Cantonese language because as you see him conversing, his Mandarin slang was still there. Overall, the movie was above average only. Why? I was hoping this Sniper would be about racing against time like Die Hard 3 – Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson or even like 12 Rounds. Since the movie is about Lincoln’s revenge and hatred towards Hartman, why not have him running around trying to threaten him with his daughter?

Well, I think Dante Lam has his mind of it’s own. Wonder what story will I be covering next time around. :)

Rockin’ Out

Evans + Cooper