[usr 3.5]
An untested American submarine captain teams with U.S. Navy Seals to rescue the Russian president, who has been kidnapped by a rogue general.
In 1990, Tom Clancy’s best-selling novel, ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ was adapted into a big screen action adventure which starred Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin and told the story of a Russian commander who stole the latest and most advanced nuclear missile submarine with the intent of defecting to the US so as to avoid World War III. Naturally, once Russia knew of his plans, they tried to stop him and with the US being told by the Kremlin that he was planning to attack America, a taut and pulse-pounding thriller ensued, with plot twists along the way and characters we were introduced to and didn’t know if they were good guys or bad guys.
Director Donovan Marsh must have been inspired by “Red October” because his latest film, “Hunter Killer,” bears an uncanny resemblance to the aforementioned movie. We have plenty of submarines, both American and Russian, and plenty of twists galore but that’s where the comparisons end. I honestly thought going in to see this, that it would be a retread of “Red October” but thankfully, it has its own story to tell.
Gerard Butler plays Captain Joe Glass, who has just been recruited by the Pentagon to take charge of the USS Arkansas, an attack submarine. He and his crew are to make their way to the Arctic where they have been told one of their own submarines was seemingly attacked by a Russian sub. When they get there, they find not only the debris of the American sub but also that of a Russian one. When they hear clinking sounds coming from what’s left of the Russian vessel and realize that there are survivors, Glass’ crew are more than happy to leave them at the bottom of the ocean but Glass, being the captain, disagrees. He has the remaining three survivors rescued and brought aboard the sub and immediately puts them in confinement.
When the Pentagon discovers that Russian President Zakarin (Alexander Diachenko) has been taken hostage by his own defense minister, Dmitri Durov (Mikhail Gorevoy) at a base in Polyarny in Russia, and plans on starting World War III himself, Glass is instructed by his commanding officer, John Fisk (Common), to make his way to Polyarny and rendezvous with an elite unit whose sole responsibility it is to rescue Russian President Zakarin, where they will escape on the submarine. There’s only one problem: the long, narrow fjord that leads to the base in Polyarny, is littered with underwater mines and since no American vessel has ever entered the base before, Glass and his crew are hesitant to enter. Glass visits one of the men who he rescued from the sunken Russian sub, Captain Andropov (Michael Nyqvist), and informs him that his president has been taken hostage by his own men and their orders are to rescue him but they must first navigate the dangerous fjord before they reach their destination.
Because Glass saved his life when he didn’t have to, Andropov agrees to help and safely guides them to the base. Once there, the elite unit, who have successfully rescued Zakarin, hook up with Glass and his men and after making their way back into open waters, Durov, who has told the Russian navy that President Zakarin is indisposed and that he is now in control, informs one of their biggest destroyers to track the USS Arkansas and blow it out of the water. When Zakarin contacts the destroyer to tell them that he is on board, along with Captain Andropov, the men are hesitant to strike but when Durov launches an air strike against the Arkansas, Glass must figure out a way to deflect the missiles, before it’s too late!
I honestly thought, based on the previews for “Hunter Killer,” that it was going to be a snoozefest but to my surprise, it was actually a pretty decent thriller. The scene where Glass’ submarine must navigate the mine-filled fjord was intense and expertly crafted. The elite unit, led by Bill Beaman (Toby Stephens), had some tense scenes of their own, especially after they grab President Zakarin and try to make their way to the water where they are to meet up with Glass. Gerard Butler’s Captain Glass is strong and steadfast but also knows the value of human life, even if it is saving Russian soldiers who may or may not have attacked another American submarine, he knows, that like him, they were just following orders. Both Gary Oldman and Common do fine in their respective roles but this film belongs to Butler and his crew. I doubt “Hunter Killer” will make much impact at the box office this weekend, especially considering it is going up against “Halloween,” which is still bringing in big numbers, but for those who don’t like horror flicks, “Hunter Killer” makes for an enjoyable two hours.
In theaters Friday, October 26th
