I remember going to the theater in 1993 to see the film Sniper starring Tom Berenger and Billy Zane, but never thought it would spawn a franchise that is still going today. Throughout the series it has passed the baton to star Chad Michael Collins with both Berenger and Zane popping in and out of the varying films. Now it is back once again with the eighth film in the franchise Sniper: Assassin’s End once again starring Chad Michael Collins and Tom Berenger. Could this latest chapter bring more action to this unexpected franchise or will it miss the shot?

 

Sniper: Assassin’s End follows Special Ops sniper Brandon Beckett who is set up as the primary suspect for the murder of a foreign dignitary on the eve of signing a high-profile trade agreement with the United States. Narrowly escaping death, Beckett realizes that there may be a dark operative working within the government, and partners with the only person whom he can trust: his father, legendary sniper Sgt. Thomas Beckett. Both Becketts are on the run from the CIA, Russian mercenaries and Lady Death, a Yakuza-trained assassin with sniper skills that rival both legendary sharpshooters.

 

I remember really digging the original and think I have seen some of the sequels, but honestly don’t even remember for sure. I had zero expectations for this one since I hadn’t been invested to the direction of the series. For those that are fans of the series it will come as no surprise that this time around Collins is the actual lead with Berenger not showing up until about halfway through. This doesn’t mean he isn’t given anything to do and actually kind of works in relation to the story direction. The story itself has been done to death with very similar story arcs in films like Angel Has Fallen and Jack Reacher. That doesn’t make it a bad film, just made it feel a bit too generic instead of bringing something overly new to the franchise.

 

There is plenty of action to enjoy with most of it working pretty well. The