Review of American Sniper (2014) by Hotfromcauldron — 21 Jan 2015

A bible thumping father breeds his son's killer instinct. The United States government turns him into an invincible war machine. We thank our Armed forces for sacrificing their souls for our safety.

For no matter the extent of their physical damages, a tour of duty leaves emotional scars that run deep - so beautifully captured in Coming Home and Born on the Fourth of July. Cooper's Chris Kyle is the only character fleshed out- so American Sniper misses the target by focusing on his personal battle and home life ; instead of the juxtaposition between him and his arch enemy "the butcher". Homeland builds more tension in one 40 minute episode. And as in the Imitation Game, Mr. Eastwood leaves the most powerful scene to our imagination by putting it in words in the final credits-- so before we can digest the ramifications- the house lights are up.