Hunter Killer
(2018)Courage runs deep.
Gerard Butler is an untested US submarine captain who teams with the Navy Seals to rescue the Russian President from a rogue general. Also starring Common, Gary Oldman, and Billy Bob Thornton, this action thriller is based on the novel Firing Point by Don Keith and George Wallace.
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Directed by Donovan Marsh ('Avenged', 'Spud', 'Dollar$ + White Pipes')
Starring Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Common, Billy Bob Thornton, Ryan McPartlin, Linda Cardellini, Michael Nyqvist, Michael Trucco
Written by Jamie Moss, Arne Schmidt (based on the novel 'Firing Point' by Don Keith and George Wallace)
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Hunter Killer
The Press Reviews
A better-than-expected entry in the all-too-often neglected sub sub-genre, with Butler showing impressive restraint. Full Review
Toning down his usual act in a manner that suggests he's finally read his reviews, Butler gives it handfuls of dramatic ballast, but this vessel has been badly compromised: any interest seeps out by the frame. Full Review
It's initially good for a giggle, but boredom eventually triumphs. Full Review
It is bombastic and garish, ridden with clichés, preposterous politics and diplomacy, and frenetic, video game energy. And it so often so unintentionally silly that it's actually kind of a fun watch. Full Review
However nutty its geopolitics, "Hunter Killer" does its job as popcorn thriller with brisk efficiency. Full Review
Picture a mash up of The Hunt for Red October and Zero Dark 30 (but without being anything like as good as either) and you'll know everything you need to about Hunter Killer. Full Review
Sinks to the bottom. Full Review
BY Tony Stamp Flicks Writer
Well, this is a weird one. Too meek to class as an action flick, it’s more like a boneheaded political thriller, with a whiff of Roland Emmerich’s blockbuster hijinks. The most shocking element is its overwhelmingly positive portrayal of a distinctly Putin-esque Russian President.... More
Gerard Butler gets to be the big face on the poster, but his grizzled submarine captain (the hilariously-named Joe Glass), is just part of an ensemble cast that includes the shockingly overqualified Gary Oldman and Linda Cardellini, and also Common, who can’t seem to occupy any shot without looking weirdly awkward.
The plot involves a Russian coup that for some reason only a handful of American soldiers can resolve. It’s so straightforward I kept waiting for a twist that never arrived. There’s one character I was sure was secretly a baddie… nope.
Instead the movie just petered out and we all went home. Hunter Killer is replete with sub-TV level CGI and a lot of that thing they did in Star Trek where they had to pretend the set they’re on is shaking. Its message of peace being preferable to warfare is obviously admirable, and I’m sure the filmmakers’ hearts were in the right place, but it does seem an odd moment in history to blow kisses at Russia.
I guess it’s better than the vicious xenophobia of Butler’s ‘Has Fallen’ franchise. In fact things get downright heartwarming near the end, which would be fine if there had been any tension during the movie. But it’s all pretty low-key, with no real stakes to grab hold of. Its most thrilling action sequence involves a submarine moving very slowly, before coming to a standstill.
The best thing that can be said about Hunter Killer is its most dramatic moments register as unintentionally funny (witness the increasing number of chuckles in my screening). Sadly we can’t grant stars ironically.Hide
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