Far below the Arctic sea, a submarine commanded by Captain Joe Glass searches for a lost vessel while trying to avoid certain doom.
Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Common, and the always amazing Linda Cardellini star in this latest action thriller that pits our military against an evil plan to overthrow the world order. Not an award winner by any means, this new film from indie director Donovan Marsh is high on tension but ultimately feels so familiar we could have just watched Crimson Tide or K-19 again. At least with the latter, we could be entertained by Harrison Ford's terrible Russian accent for ninety minutes.
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| This. Is. Not. Sparta. |
At a time when politics are such a major point of turmoil on American soil, along comes a new militaristic submarine thriller that pits the good old U.S.A. against a Russian plot about coups and a technologically advanced sub called a Hunter Killer. Featuring Gerard Butler as the main character that's fighting against time to save the world from all out war with the Ruskies, this attempt at recreating the stress laced story of The Hunt For Red October is just another mediocre effort for the actor and a timely reminder that we're on the brink of a brand new cold war with the former U.S.S.R.. If anything, Hunter Killer is a solid portrayal of our military might, skill, and the stark nature of the weaponry that can destroy life in the blink of an eye.
Where Hunter Killer does succeed is in its multi-tiered story. While most of the arc takes place below the surface of the ocean, the interplay between the control center and the on the ground soldiers adds an extra bit of tension that feels realistic, if not a bit over patriotic at times. This definitely plays the 'Rah Rah Go America!!' card quite a bit. But it at least finds a way to break up the monotony of remaining on board the sub the entire time. Using believable actors that fill the shoes of their characters with ease, this is at least a decent watch. Yet, when they end up using military stock footage half way through the film, my attention was totally lost. There is NO reason for that. You have a budget. Use it.
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| Hey bro! You got any more of them Olympus movies? How about a submarine sandwich? You got any of those? |
Honestly, the people around me seemed very invested and were pleased with the outcome of Hunter Killer. It's great passive entertainment for people that love their action laced by the constant reminder that everyone could drown at any given second. For Gerard Butler, this is probably one of his better roles in the last five years. This is a better type for his sensibilities and he seems to slip right into character. Again, it's not awful and definitely calls for a theatrical viewing with proper sound and a large screen. However, it's just something we've seen numerous times before.
If you're looking for a bit of action, check this one out. Just don't expect anything too exciting.
-CG
