Sniper Special Ops

Last updated
Sniper Special Ops
Sniper2016poster.jpg
Official DVD cover
Directed by Fred Olen Ray
Written byFred Olen Ray
Sebastian Bell
Produced byBarry Barnholtz
Fred Olen Ray
Jeffrey Schenck
Starring Steven Seagal
Rob Van Dam
Tim Abell
CinematographyStuart Brereton
Edited byRyan Mitchelle
Music byNick Soole
David Buckley
Production
companies
Distributed by Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release date
  • May 3, 2016 (2016-05-03)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Sniper Special Ops is a 2016 American war action drama film written and directed by Fred Olen Ray and starring Steven Seagal, who also serves as executive producer for the film. It is unrelated to the long-running Sniper film series.

Contents

Plot

Sergeant Jake Chandler (Steven Seagal), an expert sniper, joins Sergeant Vic Mosby (Tim Abell) with the Delta Force during an overwatch mission to extract an American Congressman who is being held by the Taliban in a remote Afghan village. At first, the rescue mission is successful until a firefight breaks out. Evac is called in but Chandler and his spotter Pvt. Rich are separated from the squad. During the extraction, several members of the squad are killed or wounded, forcing them to leave without Chandler and Rich.

Upon returning the base, Mosby tries to convince Lieutenant Colonel Jackson (Dale Dye) to let him go back for his fellow soldiers, but is instead ordered to retrieve munitions which could be vital for the base. Accompanied by Vasquez and Jennings, Mosby rendezvouses with Spc. Tyler at his broken down munitions truck. The squad is also accompanied by Janet, a NATO photographer. In addition to the munitions, Tyler also has a woman and child, who are revealed to be the last surviving members of the local Taliban leader's family. They are attacked by local militants, resulting in Tyler's death and Jennings and Janet being wounded.

Mosby orders Jennings back to the camp with Janet and the supplies while he and Vasquez return the woman, her name being revealed to be Jada, and her child to the Taliban in exchange for the safe extraction of Chandler and Rich. During this, Rich has developed a fever and his slowly dying, causing Chandler to call in a risky evacuation. Upon arriving in the city, Mosby and Vasquez seemingly hand over the woman but she is revealed to be Janet in disguise. Janet attaches explosives to the Taliban leader and he is killed in the resulting explosion.

After the fight between the squad and Taliban ends, Chandler and Rich are rescued by Mosby, Vasquez and Janet.

Cast

Reception

Looper stated ’’The premise doesn't sound too bad, but there's ultimately little to enjoy in this mindless, paint-by-numbers shoot 'em up." [1] Other reviews were also quite negative. [2] [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steven Seagal</span> American actor, martial artist, and filmmaker (born 1952)

Steven Frederic Seagal is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, martial artist, and musician. A 7th-dan black belt in aikido, he began his adult life as a martial arts instructor in Japan where he became the first American to teach in an aikido dojo. He later moved to Los Angeles where he continued teaching aikido. In 1988, Seagal made his acting debut in Above the Law, which is regarded as the first American film to feature aikido in fight sequences.

<i>Above the Law</i> (1988 film) 1988 action film by Andrew Davis

Above the Law, also known as Nico: Above the Law, or simply Nico, is a 1988 American crime action thriller film co-written, co-produced and directed by Andrew Davis. It marked the film debut of Steven Seagal, who also produced the film alongside Davis, and stars Seagal alongside Pam Grier, Sharon Stone, Ron Dean and Henry Silva. Seagal plays Nico Toscani, an ex-CIA agent, an Aikido specialist and a Chicago policeman who discovers a conspiracy upon investigating the mysterious shipment of military explosives seized from a narcotics dealer.

<i>Hard to Kill</i> 1990 film by Bruce Malmuth

Hard to Kill is a 1990 American vigilante action-thriller film directed by Bruce Malmuth, starring Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler and Frederick Coffin. Seagal's second film after Above the Law, he portrays Mason Storm, a detective who falls into a coma after being shot during a home invasion that killed his wife. Reawakening seven years later, Storm embarks on a journey to avenge the death of his wife, and expose the corruption of Senator Vernon Trent, the man who ordered the murder of his family. The film was released on February 9, 1990, and grossed $75 million worldwide.

<i>Under Siege</i> 1992 film by Andrew Davis

Under Siege is a 1992 action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis from a screenplay by J. F. Lawton. It stars Steven Seagal, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Busey, and Erika Eleniak. Seagal plays Casey Ryback, a former Navy SEAL, who must fend off a group of mercenaries after they commandeer the U.S. Navy battleship Missouri.

<i>On Deadly Ground</i> 1994 film

On Deadly Ground is a 1994 American environmental action adventure film directed, co-produced by, and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey. As of 2024, it is Seagal's only directorial effort and features a minor appearance by Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early roles. Seagal plays Forrest Taft, an expert firefighter who chooses to fight back against the environmental destruction caused by his ruthless former employer (Caine). On Deadly Ground was theatrically released in the United States on February 18, 1994, by Warner Bros. It garnered negative reviews from critics and grossed $78.1 million worldwide on a $50 million production budget.

<i>Executive Decision</i> 1996 US action film by Stuart Baird

Executive Decision is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Stuart Baird and written by Jim Thomas and John Thomas, who also produced the film with Joel Silver. It stars Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt, Joe Morton, David Suchet and B.D. Wong. It depicts the rescue of an airliner hijacked by terrorists, by a small team placed on the plane in mid-flight. The film was released in the United States on March 15, 1996, by Warner Bros. It grossed $122 million against a $55 million budget.

<i>Under Siege 2: Dark Territory</i> 1995 American film

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory is a 1995 American action thriller film directed by Geoff Murphy, starring Steven Seagal as the ex-Navy SEAL, Casey Ryback. Set on board a train traveling through the Rocky Mountains from Denver to Los Angeles, it is the sequel to the 1992 film Under Siege also starring Seagal. The title refers to the railroading term that the subject train was travelling through dark territory, a section of railroad track that has no train signals and in which communications between train dispatchers and the railroad engineers were impossible.

<i>Fire Down Below</i> (1997 film) 1997 American film

Fire Down Below is a 1997 American action film starring Steven Seagal and directed by Félix Enríquez Alcalá in his directorial debut. The film also includes cameos by country music performers Randy Travis, Mark Collie, Ed Bruce, Marty Stuart and Travis Tritt, and country-rocker and the Band member Levon Helm, as well as Kris Kristofferson in a supporting role. Steven Seagal plays Jack Taggert, an EPA agent who investigates a Kentucky mine and helps locals stand up for their rights. The film was released in the United States on September 5, 1997.

<i>Half Past Dead</i> 2002 American action movie by Don Michael Paul

Half Past Dead is a 2002 American action film written and directed by Don Michael Paul in his directorial debut. The film was produced by Elie Samaha, Andrew Stevens, and Steven Seagal, who also starred in the lead role. The film co-stars Morris Chestnut, Ja Rule, Tony Plana, Kurupt, and Nia Peeples. It tells the story of a criminal who infiltrates a prison to interrogate a prisoner about the location of a fortune in gold while an undercover FBI agent has to stop him. Distribution and copyrights were held by Columbia Pictures. Half Past Dead was released in the United States on November 15, 2002, by Screen Gems. The film garnered negative reviews from critics, and only grossed $19 million worldwide against its $25 million production budget. Half Past Dead was Steven Seagal's last widely released film before he shifted to several direct-to-video films in many years until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle</span> American selective fire military designated marksman rifle

The Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) is an American military selective fire battle rifle, and a designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. It is a variant of the M14 battle rifle and was originally built for use with units of United States Special Operations Command, such as the United States Navy SEALs, Delta Force, and task specific Green Berets ODA teams/units.

<i>On the Nameless Height</i> 2004 multi-national TV series or program

On the Nameless Height also known in English as On an Unnamed Hill and Unidentified Heights, is a Russian-Belarusian 2004 television film in four parts, set in 1944 in the Second World War.

<i>The Marksman</i> (2005 film) 2005 American film

The Marksman is a 2005 American action film directed by Marcus Adams. The film stars Wesley Snipes, William Hope, Emma Samms and Anthony Warren. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on September 6, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">5th Special Forces Group (United States)</span> Military unit

The 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) (5th SFG (A), 5th Group) is one of the most decorated active duty United States Army Special Forces groups. The 5th SFG (A) saw extensive action in the Vietnam War and played a pivotal role in the early months of Operation Enduring Freedom. 5th Group is designed to deploy and execute nine doctrinal missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance.

<i>Two-Minute Warning</i> 1976 film by Larry Peerce

Two-Minute Warning is a 1976 action thriller film directed by Larry Peerce and starring Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Martin Balsam, Beau Bridges, Jack Klugman, Gena Rowlands, and David Janssen. It was based on the novel of the same name written by George LaFountaine. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film Editing.

<i>XIII: The Conspiracy</i> 2008 Franco-Canadian television film

XIII: The Conspiracy is a 2008 Franco-Canadian television film in two parts, based on the eponymous graphic novel series by Belgian authors Jean Van Hamme and William Vance, about an amnesiac protagonist who seeks to discover his concealed past. The film served as a pilot for XIII: The Series, which aired on television in 2011.

<i>A Dangerous Man</i> 2009 American film

A Dangerous Man is a 2009 American direct-to-DVD crime action film directed by Keoni Waxman. It stars Steven Seagal as an ex soldier released from prison after spending six years locked up for a crime he did not commit.

<i>Medal of Honor</i> (2010 video game) 2010 video game

Medal of Honor is a first-person shooter video game developed by Danger Close Games and EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the thirteenth installment in the Medal of Honor series and a reboot of the series. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and J2ME on October 12, 2010. While the previous titles were set during World War II, Medal of Honor takes place during the War in Afghanistan. The game is loosely based on parts of Operation Anaconda; specifically, the events surrounding the Battle of Roberts Ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longest recorded sniper kills</span>

Reports regarding the longest recorded sniper kills that contain information regarding the shooting distance and the identity of the sniper have been presented to the general public since 1967. Snipers have had a substantial history following the development of long distance weaponry. As weapons, ammunition, and aids to determine ballistic solutions improved, so too did the distance from which a kill could be targeted. In mid-2017 it was reported that an unnamed Canadian special forces operator, based in Iraq, had set a new record of 3,540 m (3,871 yd), beating the record previously held by an Australian sniper at 2,815 m (3,079 yd). In November 2023, the record was once again broken by 58-year old sniper, Viacheslav Kovalskyi of the Security Service of Ukraine, who shot a Russian soldier from a distance of 3,800 m (4,156 yd) during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Irving</span> American author and former soldier (born 1986)

Nicholas Irving is an American author and former soldier. He was a special operations sniper in the 3rd Ranger Battalion for the U.S. Army.

<i>Extraction</i> (2020 film) American film by Sam Hargrave

Extraction is a 2020 American action thriller film directed by Sam Hargrave and written by Joe Russo, based on the graphic novel Ciudad by Ande Parks, Joe Russo, Anthony Russo, Fernando León González, and Eric Skillman. The film's cast features Chris Hemsworth, Rudhraksh Jaiswal, Randeep Hooda, Golshifteh Farahani, Pankaj Tripathi and David Harbour. In the film, an Australian black ops mercenary takes on a mission to save an Indian drug lord's kidnapped son in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but the mission goes awry when he is double-crossed.

References

  1. Clark, Jesse (2020-11-16). "The 6 Best And 6 Worst Steven Seagal Movies". Looper. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  2. "Sniper: Special Ops (2016) Review". theactionelite.com. 2016-05-25. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  3. "The Seagal Report: Sniper: Special Ops (2016)". wizzley.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  4. "Sniper: Special Ops". TVMAG (in French). 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2023-09-25.