18 Years Later, Mark Wahlberg’s “Violent” & “Action-Packed” Throwback Action Thriller Is Shooting Its Way to Success on Streaming

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Many people forget Mark Wahlberg started his career as the rapper Marky Mark. Now, thanks to popular action movies like the 2007 film Shooter, those early days are fading from memory. Eighteen years after its release, Shooter is finding a new audience and becoming a streaming hit. While it didn’t receive rave reviews or make a lot of money in theaters, it’s proving popular with viewers online, boosted by a strong supporting cast alongside Wahlberg.

The action thriller Shooter is currently a hit on Paramount+, ranking as the ninth most popular movie. It’s behind Liam Neeson’s remake of The Naked Gun, which is still number one. While it might not be Mark Wahlberg’s most famous action movie, many fans really enjoy Shooter. Released in 2007, the film was directed by Antoine Fuqua, known for action hits like The Equalizer, Training Day, and Olympus Has Fallen.

The movie, based on Stephen Hunter’s novel Point of Impact, features Mark Wahlberg as Bob Lee Swagger, a skilled Marine sniper wrongly accused of trying to kill the President. Facing powerful and dishonest enemies, Swagger goes undercover to prove his innocence.

I’ve always been captivated by the story of Bob Lee Swagger, this incredible Marine sniper. He was a true expert, but walked away from it all after a mission went wrong, seemingly vanishing off the face of the earth. Then, powerful people convinced him to come back for one last job – protecting the President. But it was a setup! He quickly discovered he’d been used and betrayed, and suddenly he was the one being hunted across the country. What I admire most is that instead of running, Swagger decided to fight back, going after the corrupt figures who’d tried to destroy him. It’s a thrilling story of skill, betrayal, and righteous revenge.

‘Shooter’ Completely Divided Audiences & Critics


Paramount Pictures

Many people love the film Shooter, and its Rotten Tomatoes scores reflect that. While critics were split – giving it a 47% rating – audiences really enjoyed it, awarding it an 80%. One Rotten Tomatoes user praised it as “Action-packed from the beginning, that’s what I want from an action movie! That’s what you get with Mark Wahlberg! Absolutely great.” Another simply said the movie was “good fun” and didn’t let the critics bother them, even acknowledging its violence.

We highlighted the strong supporting cast in Shooter, and that was no exaggeration. The film features Kate Mara, Danny Glover, Michael Peña, Rhona Mitra, and Louis Ferreira alongside Mark Wahlberg. When it came out in theaters, Shooter didn’t become a massive hit, but it wasn’t a failure either. It earned around $95 million worldwide on a $61 million budget, making it a financial success. However, that amount wasn’t quite enough to kickstart a major action franchise, which is what many fans had hoped for since 2007.

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2025-11-06 02:14