Sniper: The White Raven

Slow to start, and slow to end. Not very deep or meaningful in any way, but nonetheless fairly enjoyable to watch once and never care about this movie ever again. Slava Ukraini!

The opening act begins a little slow, focusing primarily on setting up our main character, who, while somewhat intriguing, is nowhere near as interesting as the setting itself, which the movie fails to explain in its entirety outside of Ukraine = good & Russia = bad. In terms of action, things progress well, with tensions building up appropriately. There's a distinct lack of big explosions & loud guns, replaced by a more nuanced, chess-style pacing that perfectly encapsulates the intensity in a way that feels ultimately more 'thriller' than 'action'. It focuses more on the human side of war, which is far from original but not what I had expected from this film initially. It's a decent war film that struggles to cement itself as anything other than pure propaganda, holding itself back from being a great film in the process. Perhaps taking the time to explain the Donbas region, the reason for the conflicts, and why Crimea is relevant would make it a much more accessible and exciting film to those who are only familiar with the most recent conflicts in this region.