Sniper 3

Sniper 3

Year: 2004

Runtime: 91 mins

Language: English

ThrillerActionDramaHigh speed and special opsExplosive and action-packed heroes vs. villains

Everyone is a Target Having taken out warlords, drug kingpins and international assassins, Thomas Beckett must now face the ultimate enemy, his best friend Paul Finnegan.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Sniper 3 (2004)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Sniper 3 (2004). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 2000s

Present-day events take place in the early 2000s, with Beckett traveling through Vietnam on a personal mission. The film includes flashbacks set in 1967 that reveal the origins of Beckett's friend Paul Finnegan and the war's lingering trauma. This back-and-forth between past and present emphasizes how history continues to shape current loyalties and decisions.

Location

Ho Chi Minh City, Tây Ninh, Cambodia, Vietnam

The action unfolds across Vietnam’s urban centers and dense jungle networks, notably in Ho Chi Minh City and the tunnels near Tây Ninh. It visits the border region with Cambodia, reflecting the cross-border nature of covert operations. The claustrophobic tunnel sequences create a battlefield that is as much about geography as it is about combat.

🌏 Southeast Asia 🗺️ War-torn setting

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:46

Main Characters – Sniper 3 (2004)

Meet the key characters of Sniper 3 (2004), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Thomas Beckett (Tom Berenger)

A seasoned U.S. Marine sniper returning from Vietnam, Beckett is precise, stubborn, and haunted by his service. He suffers nerve damage that causes involuntary finger jerks, pushing him toward retirement yet drawing him into a personal mission. He chooses to face the danger alone to spare others from his burdens and distrust in institutions.

🎖️ Veteran 🧠 Determined 🔒 Lone-wolf

Sydney (Jeannetta Arnette)

Sydney is Paul Finnegan’s widow who embodies quiet strength and emotional resilience. She encourages Beckett to consider his health and hints at a life beyond the Marines, providing him with personal motivation and a connection to his past.

💔 Widow 🌟 Support

Quan (Byron Mann)

A Vietnamese police operative recruited by the NSA, Quan acts as Beckett’s contact in Ho Chi Minh City. He is wary of the mission’s aims but provides essential local knowledge and survival skills, helping Beckett navigate a dangerous political landscape.

🕵️ Investigator 🧭 Local ally

Captain Laraby (Troy Winbush)

Beckett’s commanding officer who initially questions Beckett’s fitness for duty. His skepticism and official stance frame the tension between personal judgment and military authority.

🎖️ Commander 🤨 Skeptical

William Avery (Denis Arndt)

CIA Director who recruits Beckett for the mission. Avery embodies political ruthlessness, connecting present violence to a broader agenda and manipulating events to protect powerful interests.

🏛️ CIA 🔗 Manipulative

Richard Addis (William Duffy)

Deputy Director who collaborates with Avery in orchestrating the operation. Addis represents the bureaucratic layer behind covert actions and the cover-ups that often accompany them.

🏛️ CIA 🔍 Cover-up

Paul Finnegan (John Doman)

Beckett’s Vietnam-era comrade and the basis of the mission’s moral conflict. The wedding day revelation and the CIA’s manipulation of his past complicate Beckett’s sense of loyalty and justice.

🧭 Friend 🔍 Backstory

Finnegan (Circa 1967) (Christopher Lee Lorch)

The version of Finnegan depicted in 1967 flashbacks, a former ally turned central antagonist in the older timeline. His actions during the war reveal the roots of the present crisis and the personal betrayals behind the mission.

⚡ Drug lord 🕳️ Backstory

Neil Finnegan (Ken Streutker)

The son of Paul Finnegan and a figure tied to the modern-day remnants of the Finnegan network. He is part of the group Beckett is ultimately compelled to confront as the mission unfolds.

⚔️ Soldier 🕳️ Enigmatic

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:46

Major Themes – Sniper 3 (2004)

Explore the central themes of Sniper 3 (2004), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Moral Ambiguity

Beckett is forced to choose between duty and personal loyalty. The CIA’s manipulation of past events creates a perilous trap where eliminating Finnegan could uncover uncomfortable truths. The mission tests whether the ends justify the means, especially when innocent lives are at stake. The narrative uses the ‘head of the snake’ metaphor to expose how power corrupts the pursuit of security.

🕵️ Conspiracy & Deception

The operation rests on lies designed to protect a political cover-up. Truths about war crimes and drug trafficking surface, complicating who is really the enemy. Secrecy isolates Beckett and erodes trust in the institutions he serves. Revelations threaten to derail the mission and reveal a deeper system of manipulation.

💥 War Trauma

Beckett carries physical injuries and psychological scars from past combat that haunt his civilian life. His nerve damage and hand jerks mirror the lasting effects of violence. The film juxtaposes present covert warfare with 1960s Vietnam War memories to explore how trauma persists. The tunnels and jungles symbolize a mind imprisoned by conflict.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:46

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Sniper 3 Summary

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Sniper 3 Summary

Sniper 3 Timeline

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Sniper 3 Timeline

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Sniper 3 Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Sniper 3

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