Sniper overwtch missions have been a family business for Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett (not to be confused with the archbishop) and his son Gunnery Sergeant Brandon Bishop. Business has been brisk over the course of eleven Sniper movies. The father (Tom Berenger) starred in the first three, with the son carrying the Sniper standard in the subsequent eight. Perhaps this might be Brandon Beckett’s final mission, judging from the finality of the title. If so, Beckett will surely go down shooting in Danishka Esterhazy’s Sniper: The Last Stand, which releases tomorrow on VOD.
Beckett isn’t even sure which African nation Zeke “Zero” Rosenberg, agent of G.R.I.T. (Global Response & Intelligence Team), has secretly infiltrated him into—and it is probably best for him not to know. If Americans are caught participating in the country’s civil war, it would surely lead to a diplomatic incident. Wherever they are, the government is not merely oppressive. It has become a safe haven for Kovalov, an arms dealer transparently based on Viktor Bout.
The local freedom fighters contracted G.R.I.T. to capture or kill Kovalov and his tech guru, before they finish the cutting edge WMD they have reportedly been developing. For Zero, it is not just a job. It is personal. Zero nearly had a line on Kovalov twice before, but red tape slowed him down. There will not be any bureaucrats delaying this Wild Geese-like mission.
The initial breach of Kovalov’s government compound proceeds like clockwork. Unfortunately, the arm’s dealer manages to send an S.O.S. to the regime militia. Then he activates his mysterious new pulse weapon, which eventually kills him along with half Zero’s team, through some kind of delayed effect. Instead of retreating, Beckett convinces the team remnant to stay and fend off the militia, while the resistance leader uploads all the weapon data to various intelligence services around the world. Anyone who recently downloaded the latest Windows upgrade understands how long that could take.
Screenwriter Sean Wathen’s narrative is not exactly complex, but if you enjoy VOD action movies, this one delivers bounteous servings of red meat. Frankly, all of Esterhazy’s action scenes are adrenaline-charged and cleanly choreographed. It is wall-to-wall pedal-to-the-metal action—and almost nothing else.
Chad Michael Collins (who is probably just as well known for appearing in the Call of Duty video games) has clearly perfected the right rugged but commanding presence for the Sniper series. He is well in his element at all times. He also develops likable camaraderie with his fellow special operators. That is especially true with Ryan Robbins, returning from the prior movie, as Zero. Of course, Arnold Vosloo (of Hard Target) was born to play colorful villains like Kovalov. If anything, Esterhazy and Wathen kill him off too soon.
Basically, Last Stand is a modern-day Alamo in Africa. It is not complicated, but it is lethally competent. Collins and company definitely know how to take care of business. Enthusiastically recommended for fans of the franchise and unpretentious action in general, Sniper: The Last Stand releases tomorrow (1/21) on VOD and next Tuesday (1/28) on DVD.