Mark Wahlberg’s Shooter: The 2007 Thriller Everyone’s Watching Again!

by

Eighteen years after its initial release in 2007, the action-thriller movie ‘Shooter’ is experiencing renewed popularity on streaming platforms. While it has garnered both positive and negative reviews, the movie’s finale is particularly contentious.

The movie “Shooter,” starring Wahlberg, ranks 8th on Paramount+’s list of top movies in the U.S. on July 6. Other films on the streamer’s chart include “Novocaine” at number 1, followed by unspecified film at number 2, “Zero Dark Thirty” at number 3, “Extract” at number 4, “The Patriot” at number 5, “Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado” at number 6, “Monster Summer” at number 7, “Mud” at number 9, and “Mean Girls” at number 10. In “Shooter,” Wahlberg plays Bob Lee Swagger, a Force Recon Marine Scout Sniper veteran who is framed for murder and fights to clear his name.

According to the 1993 novel, “Shooter” revolves around Wahlberg’s character, a former sniper who finds himself embroiled in an attempt on the President of the US’s life. Forced back into action, he employs his military skills to identify the genuine culprits seeking to implicate him falsely. The storyline unfolds with Swagger being deceived and going on the run to evade capture as he strives to clear his name.

Alongside Wahlberg, the movie “Shooter” also featured Michael Peña, Kate Mara, Levon Helm, and Ned Beatty in its star-studded cast. Upon release in 2007, it received mixed reactions from critics, with the storyline being a significant point of contention. Critics considered it highly implausible and filled with inconsistencies, arguing that “Shooter” lacked the depth and creativity needed to distinguish it from other thriller films.

The film “Shooter” receives a 47% approval rating from critics, but it seems the general public has taken a liking to Mark Wahlberg’s performance in this movie. Based on over 250,000 user ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, the audience’s appreciation for “Shooter” is significantly higher at approximately 80%.

Wahlberg Later Developed a Shooter TV Series

Despite a disappointing initial box office performance and unfavorable reviews from critics, Shooter remarkably bounced back nearly a decade later. In 2016, USA Network decided to create a television series by the same name, inspired by the film. Mark Wahlberg took on the role of producer for the Shooter show, with Ryan Phillippe playing Swagger, a character that Wahlberg had originated in the movie.

The TV show called “Shooter” outperformed its movie counterpart in terms of longevity, airing for three seasons and 31 episodes between 2016 and 2018. Similar to the original film, the series received a mix of positive and negative reviews from critics. Unfortunately, like its viewership, the show’s numbers declined over time, eventually leading to its cancellation.

Mark Wahlberg’s Shooter is now streaming on Paramount+.

Read More

2025-07-06 19:51