Warner Bros. has released a new American Sniper clip and a batch of new images from director Clint Eastwood’s upcoming drama.  Bradley Cooper plays U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who served four tours of duty in Iraq and quickly became the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.  His reputation extended across enemy lines, making him a prime target for the insurgency, and when he returned home to his wife and kids he struggled to leave the war behind.  I’ve seen the film and I really wasn’t crazy about it.  There’s a fascinating story to be told here, especially with regards to how Kyle’s life came to an abrupt end, but that’s not the one Eastwood is interested in telling; it’s a frustratingly one-dimensional portrayal of the war and its effects on those who fought in it.  Nevertheless, Cooper gives a strong performance as Kyle, which you can see here in this brief clip in which Kyle is arguing to be on the ground with the other soldiers instead of perched safely in his sniper’s nest.

Check out the new American Sniper clip after the jump, along with a batch of new images.  The film also stars Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman, Luke Grimes, Sam Jaeger, Navid Negahban, Sammy Sheik, Mido Hamada, and Keir O’Donnell.  American Sniper opens in limited release on December 25th.

Via Warner Bros.

Here’s the official synopsis for American Sniper:

U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle is sent to Iraq with only one mission: to protect his brothers-in-arms.  His pinpoint accuracy saves countless lives on the battlefield and, as stories of his courageous exploits spread, he earns the nickname “Legend.”  However, his reputation is also growing behind enemy lines, putting a price on his head and making him a prime target of insurgents.  He is also facing a different kind of battle on the home front: striving to be a good husband and father from halfway around the world.

Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.”  But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.