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)

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)

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)

I wasn't impressed by the trailer and I admire submarines, but I don't really like movies on this topic, so in the end I'm very pleasantly surprised by how brisk and entertaining Hunter Killer is. Gerard Butler is solid as the captain and I enjoyed the underwater attacks, which are very suspenseful though rather mediocrely filmed. The rescue of the Russian President was also good. I enjoyed myself immensely and didn't expect more here. I can't remember a more entertaining submarine movie, I'll gladly round up. 70% (01/04/2019)

Why Gary Oldman accepted the role of Dick Cheney in this C-movie is as much of a mystery as what Andrej junior did in Crimea. Sometimes he gives the impression that he was walking around and put on his uniform, then he just commented on something, shook a hand and fucked off. Gerard Butler has already made a living out of this boyish parody, so his macho, homoerotic etudes are actually doing me good. What they lack is a real scoundrel played by Michael Nyqvist, to whom Putin should give citizenship. He's the Russian. What now? TV Barrandov buys these types of films, but the effects are worse. The Russians speak broken Russian for a while, then broken English for a while. Toby Stephens wandered somewhere in Benghazi and found himself on the set in Poljarny. The screenplay was written by Tom Clancy's demented brother, and Donovan Marsh has a unique feel for ugly green screens, and Gareth Edward openly robs Godzilla in one scene. In any case, it is a film where submarines dive, emerge, pass rocks on a razor’s edge and endure a depth charge. I can't give the film less than three stars, because if I omit the lethargic middle, it's actually fun bullshit that gradually develops a 90's mentality. (11/21/2018)