[Movie] Seven Snipers Review

I love sniper movies; when I was young, I wanted to enlist in the army to be one, which is why I never miss any related stories. I've always felt they are decisive when it comes to deciding a combat, and that's usually what we see in the movies—a man with extraordinary skills like intelligence, stealth, patience, good observation, etc.

Sniper movies usually tell the story of a lone operative facing an enemy that outnumbers and out-resources them. When I read the title and saw that it was about seven, I immediately thought it would be great, plus I found it very original that this time the role was played by an actress. The story begins with Chris (Radha Mitchell) on a farm with her teenage daughter Anja (Annabel Wolfe), target shooting while receiving advice from her mother.

Anja is rebellious and skips school, spending the night away from home with her boyfriend. Chris receives a visit from a man whose attitude she doesn't like, so she confronts him and ends up killing him. This is where we learn that Chris is a retired sniper from the Australian army who is being hunted by a man nicknamed the Dragon. Upon finding out she's been tracked down, Chris calls her old unit for help; two of them respond accompanied by 3 new soldiers.

So far so good; the premise, although packed with clichés, worked well. However, it only takes a few minutes to realize this is the kind of movie where secondary characters are just filler—less than an NPC—because, boom, in a matter of seconds, their heads are blown off, leaving the main characters alone once again, with no chance for any other character to develop.

Not to mention the script; it's full of long silences where it looks like something is going to be said, but the character just turns around and starts doing something else. They left no room for drama, something that could have been exploited much better—come on, they're snipers holed up in a house, besieged by a super-soldier! They should be scared shitless, which some of them say in a few lines but don't reflect in their acting. Add to that the mediocre development of the action choreography and tactical movements—how they aim, how they hold their weapons, how they position themselves—you can tell preparation was lacking.

The only redeeming quality is the character of the Dragon, played by Tim Roth. For me, he does a good job; it reminded me of the soldier character he played in the 2008 movie The Incredible Hulk, where you can see he's really committed to the role. He transmits that same energy in Seven Snipers; even though he's the antagonist, his stage presence and sniper tactics are convincing, and at times they keep you from abandoning the movie and make you stay to see how the story ends.