"American Sniper" grossed over $200 million at the US box office sales, The Guardian reported.
The movie based on the life of American soldier in Iraq, Chris Kyle played by Bradley Cooper set a record for a non-franchise film. Predictions said that the movie will earn $65 million on the second week of its release and by Friday it gained $154 million in ticket sales.
Amidst its success on the box office, "American Sniper" received both praises and criticisms from moviegoers. Airforce veteran and Illinois congressman Adam Kinzinger thought that the film was "great" and said that the movie was "realistic." It was able to showcase what really happened in Iraq war, according to Washington Times.
On the other hand, critics say that the film celebrated the sniper as a hero but it failed to discuss the cause of the war. In the movie, Kyle was a brave man but he in actuality he was proud of his experiences in the war to the point of arrogance.
Several well known personalities also shared their views about "American Sniper."Political commentator Bill Maher commented that Cooper in the film was a "psychopathic patriot." Former candidate for the vice presidency, Sara Palin said that Kyle was a real hero and the film was "epic." The chairman of 21st Century Fox Robert Murdoch proclaimed that "Hollywood leftists" made the movie a junk and it showed their distorted perception of America and added "Bravo Clint Eastwood!"
Aside from famous personalities, organizations complained about the effects of the film to their group. American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee received an alarming increase of backlash on social media. As a result, the group requested Eastwood and Cooper to issue a statement to decrease the negative viewpoints of the public.
The committee's director Abel Ayoub said they want Bradley and Cooper to condemn the hateful remarks against Muslim Americans. Ayoub requested that the team behind the film will request the viewers not to use "American Sniper" to promote hate, discrimination and racism.
Despite all the negative publicity, "American Sniper" is currently nominated for six Academy Awards, which will happen on Feb. 22.