It took longer than it should have, but one entry in the Sniper series finally united its three leading men. The Sniper movie franchise began with the original in 1993, which starred Tom Berenger as Beckett, a veteran military sniper forced to take a rookie named Miller (Billy Zane) on a dangerous mission. The film didn’t get great reviews and only did lukewarm business. However, its uniqueness as an action movie – where it was all about waiting for that one perfect shot – saw it become a cult favorite.
It’s hard to recognize that the original is even in the same franchise as 2023’s Sniper: G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team, the tenth installment. This plays like a parody of the recent Mission: Impossible movies, with sniping itself often taking a backseat to goofy comedy or team interplay. Like any long-running series, the quality of the movies has varied wildly over the years; Berenger’s era was quite stern and serious, while the Chad Michael Collins – playing Beckett’s son Brandon – years have cycled through military actioners to the aforementioned comedic antics of G.R.I.T.
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Sniper: Ultimate Kill Finally United The Leads Of The Franchise
It took six years for the three actors to appear onscreen together
Collins took over with the fourth outing Sniper: Reloaded, and has been the leading man ever since. Billy Zane’s Miller also returned for Sniper: Reloaded, having been absent since the original. Both Berenger and Zane would then play a game of cinematic musical chairs with the franchise. Berenger was finally paired with Collins for 2014’s Legacy which Zane sat out, before he took over again for 2016’s Ghost Shooter while Berenger stayed at home. It wasn’t until 2017’s Sniper: Ultimate Kill that all three leading men finally worked together.
Ultimate Kill sees Brandon being sent after an almost supernaturally gifted sniper, while his father and Miller are called in to assist. Of course, it’s Brandon doing the bulk of the running, fighting and shooting, while Miller and the elder Beckett sit in offices or pop up for debriefings before they all finally appear together in the finale.
Ultimate Kill Wastes The Potential Of Its Premise
The three leads needed way more scenes together
It sounds like Sniper: Ultimate Kill is the Avengers: Endgame of the series, but it doesn’t feel that way. Berenger and Zane don’t exactly phone it in – and it’s great to see Beckett and Miller finally reunited – but they don’t have anything of real substance to do for most of the runtime. Beckett and Brandon get to bond a little while the former is getting used to retirement, but the film could have used more moments like this.
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The same is true for Sniper: Ultimate Kill’s ending, where all three should have been sniping together; instead, only Miller and Brandon take up their scopes. This sequence itself is lacking in any real suspense – though the final kill shot is a gory delight – and Berenger’s absence feels bizarre. Overall, the sequel is enjoyable, late-night action fare, but for an outing that finally brought together the three key leads, it should have felt like more of an event.
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Tom Berenger has some catching up to do
Sniper 2 and 3 were strictly Tom Berenger vehicles, and there was something great about seeing an actor with such gravitas getting their own STV action franchise. The actor appeared finished with Beckett after the third film, which is why Collins took over. It seems Collins is with the franchise until the bitter end because, thanks to Sniper: G.R.I.T., he’s appeared in seven of the ten films to date. In contrast, Berenger has appeared in six Sniper films – three as the lead and another three in a supporting role.
Despite Miller’s importance to the saga, he’s only appeared in four entries and has been missing in action since Ultimate Kill. It should be noted that 24’s Dennis Haysbert often fills in as the stern mentor whenever Berenger or Zane aren’t around, with his character Colonel Stone having turned up in four movies. This includes the most recent sequels Rogue Mission and G.R.I.T., and if an eleventh film happens, Collins and Haysbert feel like shoe-ins to return once more. At this point, the franchise needs to pull another Sniper: Ultimate Kill and bring together Berenger, Zane, Collins and Haysbert.
