Hunter Killer

The most masculine submarine movie since K19, with a macho Butler, a whiny Oldman, a charismatic Common and Nyqvist. Add to that a couple of Navy Seals, some solid firefights, superbly photographed locations and underwater battles and it doesn’t matter that the script was written by someone at the weekend over a beer. After all, this is all about showing off hi-tech American military toys and patting themselves on the back for how well it all turned out. Overall, it’s charismatic, fast, clear and not too smart; it’s bearable. (02/03/2019)

Well there you go, they did quietly make a Call of Duty movie after all. All they had to do was change the name, use Beaman instead of Captain Price, Martinelli instead of Soap, and that was it. Otherwise, it's got all the ingredients I'd expect from a film adaptation of that militant franchise. There are the changes of viewpoint, where one day we're in a nuclear submarine in the midst of a minefield, another time a sniper shielding his buddies, and yet another time a member of a special forces unit out to rescue the President. We run into iconic sequences from the video game series, such as wildly sliding down a concrete slope on your ass, an opening shooting warm-up with fake targets and a time limit, or a camera zooming out of the ground into the stratosphere where a military drone is on the prowl. So, too, does it retain the detached psychology of the characters, where you know almost nothing beyond the conflict (and the film self-consciously hints at this sympathetically a couple of times), and the distrust of the meritorious high command that the guys in the field have to defy at the right moment in order to do the right thing. Like the entire Call of Duty franchise, Hunter Killer is mainly an army-fetishistic, macho, and idiotic story that is irresistibly entertaining from start to finish. (02/20/2019)

I was expecting more, I admit. Based on the trailers, I was preparing for a real mess where nothing would make sense, but at least it would offer a decent amount of fun and suspense. There were inconsistencies, which didn’t bother me, but I thought the film wasn’t as action-packed as it could have been. There were almost no practical effects; it was entirely reliant on the skill of a computer expert, who created the final digital look using various programs. Honestly, with a few exceptions, it didn’t sit well with me because it felt too artificial. Gerard Butler suited the role, but his monotonous expression drove me to madness by the end. It seemed like he wasn’t really into it. And Oldman didn’t deserve such a small role; he didn’t have much space to show what he could do, but it’s hard to blame him for that. The shootouts were okay, they saved the film to some extent. By the end, the creators seemed unsure how to wrap it up sensibly, so they made it a big mix. But how can you actually save a film where the main plot involves Americans saving the Russian president? I’d understand it from the mind of a six-year-old, but not like this. It’s a bit over the top. While I used to enjoy films like this, I’ve been finding them less appealing lately. I give it 48%. (03/24/2019)

An old-school submarine encounter between the Soviets and the Yanks, but filmed in a modern style with agility and enthusiasm.  Butler is an unbelievably likable guy here and Nyqvist was also impressive in one of his last roles. It's a bit of a shame that there is not a more well-developed villain. That wide-eyed jerk in the peaked cap deserves to be ripped apart by Toby Stephens for being so boring. Even so, Hunter Killer is a well-made thriller in the style of Clancy and is more than just a good bit of light entertainment. P.S. This movie was banned in Russia. (07/11/2019)

This at least could have used a better director and special effects that didn't look like a video game, since the script is so ridiculous and the actors are boring (definitely don't watch Hunter Killer because of Gary Oldman, you'll be disappointed). This game didn't work out for Tom Clancy. (07/14/2019)