American Sniper :Right On The Mark

The true story of Chris Kyle is both inspiring and sad at the same time. He faced a lot of the struggles that service men and women face upon returning from their respective tours.  Kyle is the most lethal sniper in U.S. Military History. The book came out a few years ago and the Oscar buzz has begun so does American Sniper hit the mark or misses its shot.

Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle's pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and turns him into a legend. Back home to his wife and kids after four tours of duty, however, Chris finds that it is the war he can't leave behind. He is locked in competition with a foreign sniper and cannot leave until the job is done. The more tours, the more his family life is coming apart. When Chris is finished with war, he begins one of the biggest challenges that a lot of men like him face.  What does a warrior do when he doesn’t have a war to fight?

 Clint Eastwood does an incredible job of painting a picture of the issues facing some vets when returning home. The film also showcases the brutality and tough decisions that come with war. You root for the patriot that is Chris Kyle, but sometimes cringe at the things they had to do.  War is not pretty.  Over 160 confirmed kills in a part of the world most are lucky to never see. It’s not just a film about shooting people from hundreds of yards away. The film also takes time to show the work that Kyle did with vets who had come home scarred both mentally and physically.

 The cast is top notch. Bradley cooper completely transformed himself and is amazing. Sienna Miller is nearly unrecognizable as Kyle’s wife and truly conveys the emotion that many military wives deal with. It doesn’t touch on the Jesse Ventura issues. It doesn’t need to. This is the story of Chris Kyle’s life and his tours of duty. It’s certainly one of Clint Eastwood’s finest and worth the watch. American Sniper is a complete bull’s eye.

Taken ...For A Slightly Different Ride.

Liam Neeson is back  for a third run with Brian Mills, the former  operative with a very unique set of skills. This time around he is framed for killing his ex and sets out to clear his name.  There are nasty foreign bad dudes, his daughter with a secret, the police, FBI, and half a dozen other organizations looking for him, and Brian has to go through them all. 

 It starts a little a slow and certainly has a different feel to it. We don’t get to see as many of the cool skill set used this time around, but it isn’t a bad outing. It is supposed to be the end of the franchise, but I see a fourth one on the horizon. Liam is definitely showing his age, but there is no denying how much of a bad ass this character is.

I had more fun with the first two, but Taken 3 is a good escape that is never meant to be taken seriously.