The Marksman (2005)

*Get a physical copy of "The Marksman" on Amazon here*
*Watch "The Marksman" on Amazon Prime here*
*Get a copy of "The Exiled," created by Wesley Snipes on Amazon here*
*Get "The Marksman" wall decor on Amazon here*

Once in a while, a direct-to-video release is a hidden gem of a film, ripe for discovery- this is not one of those releases.

Wesley Snipes is a silent military operative known as Painter, a "painter." He and a squad sneak into dangerous locations, tag a target using what looks like an old doorbell button, and then escape so big planes can fly in and bomb whatever he has marked- which begs the question, why doesn't the squad take explosives in with them, and destroy the locations themselves? His squad can't stand him because he's a loner, a rebel who plays by his own rules- blech. Former flame Amanda (Emma Samms) has a new mission- blow up an old nuclear power plant in Chechnya before it can be used as a weapon, and extract the American hostages being held there. The mission into the plant is too easy, and only Painter is able to figure out what is going on.

I'm not sure it is acting, but Snipes looks unhappy throughout the film. He doesn't have many lines, and a stunt double is used in safe scenes involving jogging and other activities- when you see his character's face turned away from the camera, it's a safe bet that isn't him. If your leading man is this angry at the film, how is the viewer supposed to react? The cast is full of familiar faces, including producer Andrew Stevens in a goofy-mustached small role that was probably a hoot to no one but Andrew Stevens, and everyone looks miserable. The film's one redeeming grace is its Romanian locale. I don't know where exactly this was filmed, but it's cement, Iron Curtain-look is great. The accents are difficult to understand, no DVD subtitles, and the sound recording is awful, so I could only assume a few of the plot points based on the expressions of the supporting cast as they talked into their telephones with faux intensity. Some of the stuntwork is good, but aside from our heroes, no one can hit the broad side of a nuclear reactor with a machine gun.

I knew early on that I was going to give "The Marksman" a negative review thanks to the poor screenplay, stock footage, and bad acting, but the clincher was in a revelatory scene involving Amanda looking at some satellite footage, and all I could see was a glaring misspelled word. Someone should mark all copies of this film for destruction.

Stats:
(2005) 95 min. (1/2 *) out of five stars
-Directed by Marcus Adams
-Screenplay by J.S. Cardone & Andy Hurst, Story by Travis Spangler & Tyler Spangler and J.S. Cardone
-Cast: Wesley Snipes, Emma Samms, Andrew Stevens, William Hope, Anthony Warren, Matt Salinger, Peter Youngblood Hills, Ryan McCluskey, Warren Derosa, Vlad Ivanov, Tim Abell, Christiaan Haig, Dan Badarau, Serge Soric
(R)