Review of Hunter Killer (2018) by Gavin J — 30 Oct 2018

Not Hunt for Red October but Not Half Bad.

This movie starts out very good, action packed and tense as a US sub sneaks to the Russian coast to investigate a mysterious loss of contact with another US sub, and is unknowningly being hunted herself. The underwater scenes are amazing and in some cases, better than HfRO, and the on-sub control room scenes imo are better, as the set banks and pitches to show how it is on an actual sub during violent maneuvers.

I was reserved about the casting, but Gerard Butler does a serviceable job (he is NO Sean Connery) as the brand new swapped in sub captain trying to solve the mystery and avert WWIII. There's also a very well done SEAL Team segment for fans of that very good series. Sarah Middleton shines as an NSA agent working with the top brass to find out what is going on. Gary Oldman is not ok as Senior Admiral and chair of the Joint. His character comes across as very weak and shrill to the point of embarrassing.

Leave your plot critiques at the door, too, because unlike Red Oktober, this one really has no idea what it is doing from a plot standpoint, and the point is fast paced and edge of your seat sub and seal team action at every turn, which is does very well.