The upcoming Sniper: The Last Stand is the eleventh(!) entry in the series, and I am weirdly excited about it. So, a quick history lesson on the Sniper movie franchise. It began with the original film in 1993, where Tom Berenger played a veteran sniper taking Billy Zane’s rookie under his wing for an ᴀssᴀssination mission. Sniper is the kind of film you would catch late at night and half remember in the years ahead, but when Sniper 2 arrived nearly a decade later, it kicked off a seemingly unstoppable cult saga.

Berenger’s Beckett was the lead for the first two sequels before handing the keys over to Chad Michael Collins as Brandon Beckett, the estranged son of Berenger’s character. I’m proud to say I’ve been with the series the whole way through, with the seventh entry – which finally united Berenger, Collins and Zane – feeling like the Avengers: Endgame of the Sniper series. The quality of the movies has taken a dip in recent years, however, so I’m hoping Sniper: The Last Stand sets things right again.

I Can’t Believe Sniper: The Last Stand Is The Tenth Sequel

Sniper is a franchise with a large scope

It warms my heart to think that a series of B-movie actioners has survived to its tenth sequel, with no signs of slowing down. There are major blockbuster franchises that haven’t reached eleven installments, from Jurᴀssic Park to Mission: Impossible. Of course, the quality has gone up and down too, but it’s possible to have fun with even the weakest entries. Sniper: The Last Stand feels like a soft reboot too, ditching the ill-fitting comedy of the last two movies for a grittier action ride.

Outside of Collins and Ryan Robbins, the sequel features no other returning players and finds Brandon leading a team to stop Arnold Vosloo’s terrorist from unleashing some type of superweapon. The trailer for Sniper: The Last Stand shows off some slick-looking action, and I especially like the John Woo-ish use of slo-mo. The sequel is also putting the focus squarely back on Collins’ Beckett after the last two movies made him more of a supporting player in his own series.

I Hope The Last Stand Redeems The Most Recent Sniper Sequels

Sniper: G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team was hard work

The Sniper franchise has been running for over 30 years, so it’s only natural it’s gone through various phases. The first few were gritty thrillers featuring an older lead character, while later installments were more like spy movies with bursts of action. I can’t say I’ve loved the direction the two most recent Snipers movies have taken, with Rogue Mission and G.R.I.T. – Global Response & Intelligence Team adopting more of an action comedy approach. They also took a few pages from the Mission: Impossible playbook by making them team movies.

Sadly, neither the comedy nor the action was up to par in either film. G.R.I.T. got so silly it felt more like a parody at times. There’s nothing wrong with the series injecting a little humor – but making them borderline comedies is going too far. That’s why I’m glad to see Sniper: The Last Stand scaling things back, and returning focus to Beckett once more. So long as the eleventh installment manages to beat Rogue Mission and G.R.I.T. in terms of quality – which isn’t the highest bar to jump over – I’ll be pleased.

I Really Hope Sniper: The Last Stand Doesn’t End The Series

There’s no reason Sniper can’t go for another 30 years

Just about every time I think Sniper is done, there will be a surprise announcement for the next outing. While the movies stick to a certain formula, different filmmakers have brought their own style to them, such as director Kaare Andrews’ anime-infused ᴀssᴀssin’s End. However, from the тιтle to the trailer, there’s a sense that maybe Sniper: The Last Stand really could be the finale. I doubt that Beckett will actually die at the end, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it did close out the series either.

By this point, Collins has beaten out Berenger as the star of the series, having fronted eight movies to Berenger’s five. The star might be ready to hang up Brandon’s sniper rifle and move on; even if this is the case, the Sniper doesn’t have to end completely. A new character could pick up the mantle (there must be other Beckett relatives out there) and take over, plus the franchise is flexible enough to allow different filmmakers to put their own spins on it.

It looks like The Last Stand is leaning into Collins’ Call of Duty connections too; much of the action looks inspired by the average CoD game, while Beckett’s squad features a character who looks the spitting image of Ghost. This might entice a younger fanbase to Sniper: The Last Stand and (I hope) ensure its success for many years to come.

Source: Sony/YouTube