Some things I liked some I did not.

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I've never seen the first Sniper but that didn't stop me checking out this sequel when it showed up on a late night TV channel. I wish I hadn't made the effort, because SNIPER 2 is a bore: a could-be-good thriller that fumbles the ball thanks to an ultra-low budget and a reliance on cheesy and predictable plot staples instead of anything new. The story, although it's so slim that you can barely call it that, involves Tom Berenger's world-weary sniper who's called out of retirement (by Linden Ashby, who seems to have forgotten his own action credentials and is here relegated to an office-bound role) to assassinate a Balkan warmongerer. Before long, he's been double crossed and is fighting for his life alongside a bunch of Hungarian extras.I can forgive a film's script issues if the action scenes turn out to be good, but they're tired and clichéd here, with little effort having gone into the direction. I didn't think watching Berenger shooting enemies with his sniper rifle would be boring, but it is. They do make a little effort with the climatic cat-and-mouse game but even that fails to ignite the interest or imagination. Berenger, who's recently rediscovered his star presence after a turn in Chris Nolan's INCEPTION, makes for a solid (sometimes stolid) leading man, but otherwise the film's as dull as dishwater and not worth bothering with.

Since his medical discharge, ex-Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Beckett has drifted around but has continued to impress in national competitions . So much so in fact, that the military come to him with an offer – anything he wants in return for an "off the books" mission deep inside the Balkans to assassinate a Serbian general believed to be committed atrocities against the Muslim population. Beckett picks military deathrow prisoner Cole as his spotter but is his sense of mistrust well placed in regards this mission?Sniper was solid and Sniper 3 was OK if unremarkable so I went into part 2 in the series being pretty sure that it was going to be more of the same, which more or less it was. The plot is basic though and nowhere near as interesting as it thinks it is. Asides to McKenna explain the plot to the audience while the main characters alternate between occasional action scenes and lots of talking. The plot vaguely plays with the rights and wrongs of being a soldier and the atrocities of the Balkans but mostly it is very thin wallpaper that is of no lasting (or even temporary) value. The action (and build-up) isn't really that interesting and is far from exciting – it isn't the lack of effects or budget, but just a lack of intensity or passion in the delivery.The cast match this rather lacklustre approach by doing the tick-box basics. Berenger mumbles and grunts his way across the film – his words suggest an interesting sort of character but in reality his performance offers little. Woodbine matches this by speaking as gruff as he can but that's about it. Outside of them nobody really makes an impression apart from the odd support member who you may recognise from other television shows or movies.Overall a fairly obvious TV movie that has potential but prefers to mostly just churn the story and characters out with the minimum of effort.

Let's not beat around the bush: 'Sniper 2' is a very lame, clichéd mess that isn't worth your time. I enjoyed the first movie but hardly thought it qualified for sequel treatment. I think the two main weaknesses for 'Sniper 2' are the acting of essentially the entire supporting cast and the writing itself. The script is just plain awful. I watch a lot of movies, and I know my clichés -- hey I've got one in the opening line of THIS REVIEW!! Mine was intended to be ironic. Many of the ones in 'Sniper 2' were not (no, they opted for unintentional humour instead). As I write this, I am desperately trying to drive all memory of the film out of my memory. Hilariously clichéd drivel abounds, from Cole (Bokeem Woodbine) telling Pavel that he and three of his fellow special forces soldiers were called 'The Four Horsemen,' to the stunningly unsurprising revelation that he was the horseman ... you guessed it, called Death. Earlier in the film he explains to Beckett (Tom Berenger) in a misguided attempt at ironic humour that everyone should "Join the Marines, travel the world, make new friends... and kill 'em." There are many others. Only one made me laugh though. Without getting into the ridiculously overwrought and poorly delivered plot, Cole wants to explain to Beckett why he once killed a man. This was the exchange:Cole: "You never asked me." Beckett: "Asked you what?" Cole: "WHY I KILLED THAT MUTHAF*expletive*!!!" Beckett: "That's because I don't care about you enough as a person to be interested."The humour there is actually double-layered. It is one of the series' and Beckett's signature trademarks: irascible Beckett gets to zing his sidekicks with witty one-liners. On a second level it is depressingly honest about the main flaw in both the performances and the script. You don't actually care about any of the characters with the exception of Beckett. In a film about two men trying to free a political prisoner, do YOU think that they've succeeded from a writing and acting perspective if you catch yourself cheering more strongly with each frame for the death of every character on screen? Or maybe your own so that you don't have to watch anymore? Not to diminish the acting ability of Bokeen Woodbine (probably not just saying that because he could crush me with his martial arts ability, and dare I say it, unleash the four horsemen of the apocalypse and death on me) but he just isn't a strong enough actor to have a meaty part like this. No, not even in a shameless low-budget money grab like 'Sniper 2.''Sniper 2' is saved from being a disaster and dragged kicking and screaming up to mediocrity by two things. The first is the ever under-rated Tom Berenger. Berenger is just awesome in this and great fun to watch. Although the really great roles haven't fallen out of the sky for him lately, you can still see that he's great fun and a big talent on screen. Surrounding yourself with stilted, wooden and completely inept performances helps, but Berenger is worth watching. The second thing is an extended sniper battle in the final act of the film. It goes on for quite some time and I thought that it was very well staged and filmed. Whether the wait in getting to that point is too much or not, I don't know. I would be inclined to suggest that anyone interested in finding out should probably reconsider. I wish I had.

Ex-Marine sniper Thomas Beckett is lured out of retirement for an assignment in the Balkans and he's teamed up with a death row inmate.As far as TV sequels go, this is pretty decent. Although the character of Beckett isn't expanded on the film does have a solid story with a good twist which kept me intrigued for the most part. Action sequences are fairly good compared to many other TV movies and director's choirs are mostly well handled by a director who made big budget films in his prime.Tom Berenger owns the part of Beckett and does well as always and the rest of the cast do good as well. Sniper 2 surprised me somewhat as it proved to be quite entertaining and not far behind the original.