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*UPDATED* <i>SHOOTER</i> – “Pilot” Advance Review. Intense, Amazing, and Exciting.

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016, 10/9c on USA Network

Rating: ★★★★★

“Guns change everything, and a bullet is forever.” – Bob Lee Swagger

Just like old times.

After serving his country as a Marine sniper, expert marksman Bob Lee Swagger (Ryan Phillippe) is living a life of seclusion with his wife Julie (Shantel Vansanten) and their young daughter Mary (Lexy Kolker). Bob’s tranquil life is uprooted when Isaac Johnson (Omar Epps), his former commanding officer, persuades Bob to take part in a clandestine operation to protect the President of the United States. Realizing not everything is what it seems, Bob Lee suddenly finds himself on the run. Hunted by the people he swore to protect, it’s a race against time to clear his name.

Shooter is the re-imagining of Stephen Hunter’s 1993 best-selling novel “Point of Impact” and the 2007 film Shooter starring Mark Wahlberg. Wahlberg now serves as executive producer for the series. Full disclosure, I haven’t read the book but I’ve seen the movie and any comparisons in this review will be associated with the film only.

I’m always leery when a new series inspired by a movie is announced. Recently, shows like Rush Hour and Uncle Buck failed to capture their predecessors’ movie magic and were canceled after only one season. As someone who enjoyed the film Shooter, I couldn’t help but wonder if turning it into a series would water down the story by dragging it out. Heck, was there even a need to retell a story that was successful the first time around? The answer is, by all means, yes!

Imagine having a 60” HD TV and watching a movie on it through the peephole of your apartment door. Then watch the same movie on the couch right in front of the TV. Same movie but a totally different experience because you’re able to take in more. That’s what watching USA’s new series Shooter is like. I knew the story and what would happen, but the series opens a bigger world that’s familiar, yet new. As good as the film is, storylines that weren’t in the movie have been created for the series and fit so perfectly, I unjustly found myself feeling cheated by the film. Suddenly, I had answers to questions I didn’t even know I had.

Hopefully we keep seeing more of Vansanten.

Written by John Hlavin and directed by Simon Cellan Jones, one of the things I like about Shooter is how Hlavin resists the urge to cram the entire film into the “Pilot.” The most notable difference between the movie and the series is the addition of Julie and Mary. I was hesitant when I learned about these additions because I figured they would only slow the story down. Boy, was I was wrong. It doesn’t hurt that Vansanten is so gorgeous. To be honest, I might have developed a small TV crush on the actress after watching her in The Flash and then screening her upcoming stint on the NBC series Timeless. Vansanten is also from my home state of Minnesota so she gets bonus points for that. And six-year-old Lexy is just adorable in every scene she’s in and has no trouble holding her own against her co-stars.

When CSI first premiered on CBS in 2000, one of the things that set the series apart from other crime dramas was its use of visual effects to help explain the science of their investigations. Shooter uses similar tactics by using digital imagery to illustrate some important scenes. These moments are used sparingly but are beautifully done, adding a level of sophistication to the story telling. Let me tell you, the use of a heartbeat is a very powerful sound effect. I’m convinced hearing the sound caused my own heart to slow down to match it.

Some characters have been changed for the series. For example, Michael Pena’s role as Special Agent Nick Memphis in the film is now played by Cynthia Addai-Robinson as FBI Agent Nadine Memphis. As much as I enjoyed Pena’s performance, having Memphis be a woman creates some interesting dynamics between Nadine and Julie.

Jack Payne – Not a very nice guy. Perhaps he’s just misunderstood.

There’s also Eddie McClintock who plays Jack Payne, a role originally portrayed by Elias Koteas. Jack is Isaac’s fixer whenever he needs some dirty work done. There’s a lot of mystery to Jack and I think he will become a real wildcard when it comes to his loyalties as the series progresses. Eddie will always have a special place in my heart given he was my first press conference call as a TV critic. After being homeless only eight months prior, he left quite an impression. Two years later, Eddie became one of my first in-person interviews when I spoke to him at Wizard World here in Minneapolis.

Comparing the film and the series is like comparing Disney World and Disneyland; they’re both Disney amusement parks with familiar sights, sounds, and characters but they are also very different. Having seen the first four episodes of Shooter, the “Pilot” stays relatively faithful to the premise of its film counterpart but then opens up in amazing ways. Because it’s a retelling of the story, you don’t need to have watched the film. It’s worth checking out, though, if you haven’t. Phillippe gives an outstanding performance as Bob Lee. It’s not better or worse than Wahlberg’s; it’s just his interpretation of the character.

Shooter is a wild ride of riveting action that lives up to the film’s name. I already can’t wait for Shooter to come out on DVD so I can watch it again; yes, it’s that good.

Shooter premieres Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 10/9c, only on USA Network.

 

Tweet me @Staffaroadtrip or leave a comment below to let me know what you think about the Shooter — “Pilot.”

For more information on Shooter, visit the official website.

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Photos: ©2016 USA Network, an affiliate of NBC Universal. All Rights Reserved.

 

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.

Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.