Bullet Points: Sniper: Legacy (2014)
If you would have told me 30 years ago after I just finished watching the first Sniper, that there would be multiple Sniper sequels in the decades to come, I probably would have asked who you were and wonder why you were telling me this information. I am also not sure I would have believed it. 1993’s Sniper felt like a stand alone story to me and not one that would spawn a sequel… but that is probably why I am not a bigwig in Hollywood.
There have been so many Sniper sequels (eight currently, with a ninth sequel on the way) that I have not kept up with all of them. So I decided to go back and watch one that I missed out on and one that has not already been covered here on Bulletproof Action, 2014’s Sniper: Legacy…
- Working Remotely: The movie begins with Steffen (Nestor Serrano, Bad Boys) making his way through the streets of Berlin. Steffen is on his way to a rooftop meeting with a man he served with in Afghanistan, Simpson (Doug Allen). We learn that on their last mission together, things did not go as planned and the whole ordeal has changed Simpson’s life forever… and not for the better. Much of this conversation is seen through the POV of a sniper and you know something bad is about to happen. The surprise of it all, is that the sniper is Simpson and he is able to kill Steffen with his sniper rifle remotely!
- Sniping Ain’t Easy: The theme of missions not going as planned continues in the Syrian borderlands just south of Turkey. That is where we find Brandon Beckett (Chad Michael Collins, High Moon) and his spotter. They are there to take out some bad guys along with an inexperienced sniper named Reese and his spotter. Reese’s inexperience (and attitude) comes into play during the mission and his spotter ends up dead as a result… Brandon still manages to take out five baddies but when they get back to base he tells Major Bidwell he wants out. Brandon is one of the best, it is in his blood but killing people for a living takes its toll and it definitely is for Brandon.
- Enter the Colonel: Major Bidwell gets a call from The Colonel (Dennis Haysbert making his his Sniper franchise debut). The Colonel shares the news about Steffen and more importantly that Steffen’s death was the third from the unit that was on the ill fated mission in Afghanistan. And now it appears there has been a fourth death… Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger, The Substitute)! The Colonel strongly suspects Simpson and figures he’ll be going after the one guy from the mission that he hasn’t taken out yet, Shope. So The Colonel orders Bidwell to put a team together and rendezvous with Shope, who is leading an operation to take out a cartel. When Brandon gets the news about this father, a man he has never actually met, it still hits him hard and he naturally wants to be a part of the team that is hunting down his father’s killer… but since it is so personal for Brandon, Major Bidwell can not include Brandon… at least not officially!!!
- Father of Mine: It turns out that it is a good thing for Bidwell and his team that Brandon decided to unofficially insert himself into the action. And it turns out it is a good thing for Brandon that his father wasn’t killed by Simpson! Thomas Beckett shows up just in the nick of time and saves his baby boy from certain death and manages to put some lead in Simpson’s arm in the process. Saving Brandon’s life is a great way to break the ice and make up for not being there for his son to say the least.
- Good News, Bad News: Thomas Beckett being alive is definitely good news, but the fact that Simpson knows it is bad news for both Thomas AND The Colonel… something Simpson relays through Brandon after the two have something of a rematch. This takes the action all the way to The Colonel’s swanky base of operations on the island of Santorini, where Simpson looks to take out the remaining members of the mission that ruined his life. The movie does a great job making Simpson a legitimate threat with his skill level that has only increased thanks to technology.
Sniper: Legacy was Chad Michael Collins’ second Sniper film and as much as he benefitted from having Billy Zane as his co-star during his first go around in Sniper: Reloaded, the inclusion of Tom Berenger in Sniper: Legacy cemented Chad Michael Collins as the new face of the franchise. A big reason for that is the believability factor… you watch them on screen and you can believe that Tom Berenger is Chad Michael Collins’ dad… I wonder if CMC sends Tom a Happy Father’s Day card (or even a text) every year? If not, he should!
For a layman like me, I felt like the action was well executed (some with a military background and/or military enthusiasts may feel differently). The action highlight for me was the finale. Sniper: Legacy has one of the more satisfying endings I have seen in recent memory and is proof that two Becketts are better than one. I was out of my seat for that final shot and ready to tackle some more of the Sniper films I have missed.
If you are ready to tackle some more Bullet Points, check out these Bonus Bullet Points…
- In Your Face: Bidwell earned the nickname “Bullet Face” for shooting the majority of his targets in the face!
- Bar Fight Rule: I am happy to report that Sniper: Legacy observes the longstanding action movie bar fight rule. After Brandon gave Reese a less than glowing review, the tension between the two results in a short but sweet barroom brawl.
- Just For Men: I was probably way more distracted than I should have been by Dennis Haysbert’s sideburns in Sniper: Legacy. I don’t know what caused one side to gray faster than the other, maybe it is a Right Brain vs. Left Brain thing.
- Directed By: Don Michael Paul directed Sniper: Legacy. I remember Don Michael Paul from his acting work in movies like Dangerously Close, The Brotherhood of Justice and Rolling Vengeance.
