The upcomingSniper: The Last Standis the eleventh(!) entry in the series, and I am weirdly excited about it. So, a quick history lesson ontheSnipermovie franchise. It began with the original film in 1993, where Tom Berenger played a veteran sniper taking Billy Zane’s rookie under his wing for an assassination mission.Sniperis the kind of film you would catch late at night and half remember in the years ahead, but whenSniper 2arrived nearly a decade later, it kicked off a seemingly unstoppable cult saga.
Berenger’s Beckett was the lead for the first two sequels before handing the keys over to Chad Michael Collins as Brandon Beckett, the estranged son of Berenger’s character. I’m proud to say I’ve been with the series the whole way through, with the seventh entry - which finally united Berenger, Collins and Zane - feeling liketheAvengers: Endgameof theSniperseries.The quality of the movies has taken a dip in recent years, however, so I’m hopingSniper: The Last Standsets things rightagain.
How To Watch The Sniper Movie Series In Order
Sniper is a cult action movie franchise that has been quietly running for 30 years and counting, but in which order should the films be viewed?
I Can’t Believe Sniper: The Last Stand Is The Tenth Sequel
Sniper is a franchise with a large scope
It warms my heart to think that a series of B-movie actioners has survived to its tenth sequel, with no signs of slowing down. There are major blockbuster franchises that haven’t reached eleven installments, fromJurassic ParktoMission: Impossible. Of course, the quality has gone up and down too, but it’s possible to have fun with even the weakest entries.Sniper: The Last Standfeels like a soft reboot too, ditching the ill-fitting comedy of the last two moviesfor a grittier action ride.
Outside of Collins and Ryan Robbins, the sequel features no other returning players and finds Brandon leading a team to stop Arnold Vosloo’s terrorist from unleashing some type of superweapon. The trailer forSniper: The Last Standshows off some slick-looking action, and I especially like the John Woo-ish use of slo-mo.The sequel is also putting the focus squarely back on Collins' Beckett after the last two movies made him more of a supporting playerin his own series.
I Hope The Last Stand Redeems The Most Recent Sniper Sequels
Sniper: G.R.I.T. - Global Response & Intelligence Team was hard work
TheSniperfranchisehas been running for over 30 years, so it’s only natural it’s gone through various phases. The first few were gritty thrillers featuring an older lead character, while later installments were more like spy movies with bursts of action.I can’t say I’ve loved the direction the two most recentSnipersmovies have taken, withRogue MissionandG.R.I.T. - Global Response & Intelligence Teamadopting more of an action comedy approach. They also took a few pages from theMission: Impossibleplaybook by making them team movies.
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Sadly, neither the comedy nor the action was up to par in either film.G.R.I.T.got so silly it felt more like a parody at times. There’s nothing wrong with the series injecting a little humor - but making them borderline comedies is going too far.That’s why I’m glad to seeSniper: The Last Standscaling things back, and returning focus to Beckettonce more. So long as the eleventh installment manages to beatRogue MissionandG.R.I.T.in terms of quality - which isn’t the highest bar to jump over - I’ll be pleased.
I Really Hope Sniper: The Last Stand Doesn’t End The Series
There’s no reason Sniper can’t go for another 30 years
Just about every time I thinkSniperis done, there will be a surprise announcement for the next outing. While the movies stick to a certain formula, different filmmakers have brought their own style to them, such asdirector Kaare Andrews' anime-infusedAssassin’s End. However, from the title to the trailer, there’s a sense that maybeSniper: The Last Standreally could be the finale.I doubt that Beckett will actually die at the end, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it did close out the serieseither.
By this point, Collins has beaten out Berenger as the star of the series, having fronted eight movies to Berenger’s five. The star might be ready to hang up Brandon’s sniper rifle and move on; even if this is the case, theSniperdoesn’t have to end completely. A new character could pick up the mantle (there must be other Beckett relatives out there) and take over, plus the franchise is flexible enough to allow different filmmakers to put their own spins on it.
Tom Berenger’sSnipermovies include the 1993 original,Sniper 2and3,LegacyandAssassin’s End.
It looks likeThe Last Standis leaning into Collins’Call of Dutyconnections too;much of the action looks inspired by the averageCoDgame, while Beckett’s squad features a character who looks the spitting image of Ghost. This might entice a younger fanbase toSniper: The Last Standand (I hope) ensure its success for many years to come.
Sniper
Sniper is an action film series that began in 1993 with the Louis Llosa-directed film Sniper. Michael Frost Beckner and Crash Leyland created the franchise, which has spanned ten films. The movies focus on Force Reconnaissance Scout Snipers in the US Marine Corps.
