The Film
As much a reboot -- or is it "reload?" -- of the Sniper series, as it is a sequel, Sniper: Reloaded centers on Brandon Becket (Chad Michael Collins), son of renowned U.S. military sniper -- the original title film's title character -- Thomas Becket. This time the action takes place in the Congo, where the younger Becket is almost killed in an ambush; one that leaves his whole squad dead seemingly at the hands of a well-trained sniper. Seeking to find out the reasons why, and more importantly to seek revenge, Becket heads back into action, accompanied by Richard Miller (Billy Zane), student of the elder Becket and now a deadly sniper in his own right.
While this roughly hour and a half film takes far too long to build up, it is none-the-less an enjoyable film that lacks some of the campiness of the previous direct-to-video sequels. With just enough intrigue and action this popcorn film isn't quite a bull's eye but it certainly hits the mark.
The Picture
South Africa doubles for the Congo and the scenery is really incredible (even some of it looks nothing like either location), and it comes to life on Blu-ray. It seems likely that instead of a second unit, HD stock footage was put to good use. The colors of the terrain, animals and even the camouflage of the various troops pops out in this 1.85:1 1080p widescreen presentation. Some shots are downright fuzzy however (suggesting again that the location footage was from a different source); not out of focus but certainly not as sharp as they could be. There are even three moments where grain or a hair must have been on the original film and it is just odd that this wasn't caught in the mastering process. Overall the quality is good, but not sniper scope clear.
The Sound
The audio by contrast goes above and beyond. While old war movies tended to use very generic sounds for the gunfire and general "action" -- the cocking, loading and recoil -- of firearms, this one sounds like the real deal. The report of the guns pounds, and even resounds, offering the slight echo of the shots through the rear channel speakers. There is the expected "whoosh" as the bullets travel to target, and the thud of full metal jacket hitting flesh. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1-channel lossless soundtrack provides clear dialog through the center channel, while music and effects are equally balanced through the discrete speakers.
Despite a number of accents the film's dialog is also easy enough to understand, but as an "audio" nit, a British officer identifies herself as Lieutenant, pronounced "lew-tenant" whereas she is British and should be "left-tenant" but this is less a criticism of the audio than of the dialogue coach (assuming there was one).
The Extras
Want to see the trailers that play when the disc is loaded one more time? If not, you might be out of luck because that's the only bonus material on this one.
Final Thoughts
Managed expectations are required with most direct-to-video sequels, and while Sniper didn't quite reach the lows of series such as Death Wish, parts II and III weren't really that memorable. Sniper: Reloaded is actually a decent film with some interesting twists and turns, and a finale that mostly delivers on target.
Product Details
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