Movie review: Hunter Killer

 Unproven submarine Captain Glass is tasked with the extraction of a Navy SEAL team attempting to rescue Russia's president from a rogue general staging a military coup. Instead Glass finds his boat at the center of not only the rescue operation, but possibly a war.

Gerard Butler (Glass), Gary Oldman (Donnegan), Common (Fisk), Linda Cardellini (Norquist), Corey Johnson (Captain), Adam James (Forges), Carter MacIntyre (XO), Michael Nyqvist (Andropov), Toby Stephens (Beaman).

Hunter Killer begins with mild character introductions and setup before quickly moving to the main plot with a somewhat familiar storyline. Unproved submarine Captain Glass is sent to Russian waters to extract a seal team rescuing the Russian president. Instead Glass finds himself essentially at war with Russia, but with a fellow Russian submariner helping him out. The story finishes with a rather bland Happy Ever After ending.

Acting was solid with Butler and Oldman delivering well, though if you were hoping to see Butler in an action role forget it. Fisk fit his role nicely and managed it well, as did Cardellini. Nyqvist was well cast and did nicely, as did MacIntyre and the remainder of the supporting cast.

Camera work, sets, and backgrounds were good with a fairly solid, realistic feel. Variety of settings and use of natural backgrounds were good, while heavy visual effects were well done. Dialogue had good depth and movement. Sound and soundtrack are decent.

Overall Hunter Killer is a solid action thriller with a strong military aspect that most should enjoy despite a few technical plot holes. The story moves along well, the characters are mostly likeable, and the film develops some depth without becoming overly dark or serious.

With some mild violence and some foul language, this should be fine for teens and above.

Released: 2018
Reviewed: 8.24.21
Star rating: 4 out of 5
Genre: Action, Thriller, Military, Action & Adventure, Drama

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