E-Paper
Disaster ahoy: Rashid Irani reviews Hunter Killer
A submarine crew must rescue a kidnapped Russian President, but it’s not nearly as exciting as it sounds. Expect tonnes of jargon, a sluggish plot.
This ultra-jingoistic naval thriller revolves around the exploits of the captain (Gerard Butler) and crew of an American submarine tasked with rescuing a kidnapped Russian President and averting World War III (no, really).
Despite the presence of Butler (who needs to change his agent pronto) and Gary Oldman in the role of an obstreperous chairman of the chiefs of staff, Hunter Killer sinks under the weight of its bloated plot and inadvertent howlers, clichés, cacicatures and militaristic jargon.
“It’s a coup!” a character exclaims, after we are shown the country’s defense minister commandeer the Russian President and shoot all his aides.
Whether on the Arctic wastelands or in the briny depths, the action is consistently sluggish. Uninvolving from start to finish, Hunter Killer is instantly forgettable.
