Movie Review: American Sniper

The film is based on the 2012 autobiography American Sniper, the story of the most lethal sniper in US military history. As a young boy, Chris Kyle receives a lesson in life from his strict and militant Texan father who believes that the world is divided into sheep, wolves and sheepdogs, those rare, righteous souls called to protect the innocent from the wicked.

It is this view that guides Chris in his career as a Navy seal sniper. After he goes to Iraq, Chris’ pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield. News of his bravery and exploits spread earning him the nickname Legend.

This bothers his enemies who then put a price on his head therefore making him a target of insurgents. Besides the enormous challenges from his enemies, his commitment as a good husband and father seems to derail his focus.

Thumbs Up The movie reaffirms Mr Eastwood’s commitment to the themes of vengeance and justice. His clarity and sincerity brings out the vulnerability of a lone gunslinger facing his nemesis.

Thumbs down The film brings out complicated emotions and it is hard to decide whether it presents an all-powerful hero or just a propaganda story. In fact, hardly do we get to know of Chris’ real feelings until the last half hour when the director finally tries to get under his hero’s skin.

Verdict: If war-action hero films are your thing, get a front row seat for this one.