Trigger Man (2007)

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Three buddies head to the woods to hunt deer, but as the day drags on, with no deer in sight (actually one is spotted, but missed), they entertain themselves by shooting other things. While taking a break on a cliff to enjoy the view and chug some brews, Friend #1 steps to the edge to take a piss, and is shot in the head by a sniper. His body plummets to the ground, and some of the blood (and probably brain matter) splatters on Friend #3's face. Oh snap, time to take cover, and then run like hell!!

Friend #2 gets blasted in the head while trying to flee, while Friend #3 makes like the wind and books it out of there, but later returns to get the gun. He then takes refuge under a bridge to rest and plan his next move. A runner comes by, and although he tries to warn her of the danger (with blood on his face and toting a gun), she's scared off and taken out by the sniper too.

He makes his way to the abandoned buildings where the shots came from, and after searching a while, he sees the culprit and plinks him off. The guy’s buddy comes running out of the door from an above stairwell, and the chase is on. Friend #3 finds a secure spot to get a shot off, which injures the guy, so he retraces his steps, takes the guy’s handgun, and finishes him off. The End.

I was really hoping there was another twist to the story, like after he shot the first guy, then maybe he’d get shot at again from a different location, so the whole mistaken identity thing could unfold. But, despite the shooters motives, this was a pretty straight forward story. There was very little character development, so that's why I didn't bother with names, and just referred to them as Friend #1-3. And, I know certain survivalist instincts kick in, but there wasn’t much emotion when the friends' deaths occurred. If they truly were a tight-knit group, I’d have expected a few tears to fall, no matter how manly they thought they were. If I were in the same situation, I probably would’ve first shit my pants, then shed a few tears, maybe even yelled barbarically, then taken a few moments to gather my thoughts, and then come out like John Rambo ready to lay down a major ass-whoopin. But, instead, we end up with a mediocre revenge movie that has more drama than action.

Bad things happen in the woods, whether it’s a backwoods family of cannibals, a machete-wielding psycho, or a freak of nature with a hunger for human flesh (to name a few), tree-flourished landscapes are scary and dangerous places. Not a bad movie, but not all that good either. The best parts were when the body fell off the cliff, and when Friend #2’s brains got splattered on the rocks and Friend #3 tried to put them back in. I’d urge you to watch The Backwoods with Gary Oldman instead, even though the ending will disappoint, it’s much more entertaining.

ACTING --2-- HUMOR --2-- BLOOD/GORE --3-- NUDITY --0-- CINEMATOGRAPHY --N/A-- DIRECTING --N/A--

OVERALL RATING --2.5--