„The Shooter" (also known as „Hidden assassin") is a boring , unsurprising and unexciting thriller. The major twist is obvious after few minutes and the rest of the story is predictable and boring. "The Shooter" tries to intrigue people with political commentary about the relationships between the U.S. and the Czech Republic, but fails miserably. There is some action here – car chases , fights and shootouts but it's all completely flat and joyless. It's hard to believe that this movie was directed by Ted Kotcheff – the same guy who did so well with "Rambo first blood". There is some suspense here and there , but it's simply not enough.The Prague looks nice and John Ashton ("Beverly hills cop") is OK as Lundgren's buddy. Lundgren tries hard , but the screenplay doesn't really give him too much to work with. There is also some nudity , but not on the level of "Basic instinct" to make this movie interesting.A headache. I give it 1/10.

When the Cuban ambassador to the U.N. is assassinated by a sniper, U.S. Marshal Michael Dane (Dolph) travels to Prague to apprehend the suspect. As it turns out, the suspect is Simone Rosset (Detmers), and the relationship between Dane and Rosset becomes complicated. Naturally, there is a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top - and Dane must fight hard to get to the truth. Being a stranger in a strange land, will he succeed? Hidden Assassin - not to be confused with Silent Trigger (1996), or Hidden Agenda (2001) for that matter (although Silent Trigger has a similar plot that involves male and female snipers who are conflicted about their actions) - was made during the period in Dolph's career where he was trying to be more serious, and was appearing in films with a darker and more somber tone. Whether intentionally or not on his part when he was choosing his roles, these 90's Dolphs are different from his 80's heyday.What follows is more intrigue than out-and-out action, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a different animal from, say, The Punisher (1989). Here Dolph is put into some interesting scenarios - from a smooth, wine-tasting gentleman, to an action hero not afraid to get hurt and be covered in blood (interestingly, his white T-shirt with the bloodstain will remind you of Andrew W.K.). He even wears an interesting Franz Kafka shirt at one point. The Prague locations are a highlight of the movie. The cinematography is top-notch, and thanks to the interesting setting and good production values, as well as the big-sounding score, Hidden Assassin seems to be going for a classier vibe.Detmers recalls a more-sane Sean Young in her prime, and as far as casting goes, in lesser (?) hands, Dolph's role could have been played - should the dire need arise - by Frank Zagarino (similar hair). His sidekick could have been played by Dennis Franz. What's going on with Dennis Franz? We haven't heard too much from him lately.Hidden Assassin is probably one of the better 90's Dolphs, thanks to the quality of the technical aspects of the film, but had this movie been made in the 80's, it would have been a more full-throttle action film, and that would have been nice to see.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Although this film is not interesting for its acting or its story line, you must see it (even with the sound off) if only for the absolutely gorgeous set design, lighting design, and cinematography, which combine to make this film an eye-popping piece of eye candy. It helps that the filmmakers had the beautiful old city of Prague to film in, with its rich architectural history, romantic interiors, cobblestone streets, etc. I wanted to print out almost every scene in the film and then frame them for my walls, so gorgeous were almost all the frames of film. Try it for this! You'll love it!

Incredibly forgetful and incomprehensible hodgepodge about a U.S. marshal, Michael Dane (Dolph Lundgren) out to investigate the recent assassination of a Cuban ambassador to the U.S. in New York City. His adventures lead him to the city of Prague in the Czech Republic where he must apprehend an apparent "suspect" (Maruschka Detmers), who may or may not be the one responsible for the killing. He must then return her to New York City in the United States of America so that she may await trial for the murder.As time goes by, Dane and the alleged "professional assassin" are on the lam. They run from the police, various bad guys, and lots of shootings occur.The gorgeous on-location filming at some of the finest monuments found at the Czech Republic are a mild virtue and THE SHOOTER (also known as HIDDEN ASSASSIN) has occasional suspense.Unfortunately, those are not good enough redeeming factors to give this film high marks. THE SHOOTER tries to intrigue people with political commentary about the relationships between the U.S. and the Czech Republic, but yet again, it fails miserably. The action in THE SHOOTER is abysmal, the guns blazing add nothing new to the genre, and these type of thrillers are becoming tiresome as they perish on the video shelves. THE SHOOTER is another bravura waste of time.RATING: *1/2 out of ****.