Interceptor

Watched this movie on Netflix during the Xmas break. It stars Elsa Pataki in the lead role of a disillusioned army captain who is promoted away to an isolated missile interceptor base after a #MeToo incident. She soon finds herself in charge of defending the base against a terrorist attack. The movie got a lot of negative criticism on the internet, partly because Pataki didn’t have the star quality to be lead actor. I have to admit I didn’t realise who she was until I looked her up but it didn’t bother me while watching the movie. I kind of liked her as the tough but emotionally bruised soldier and found her character engaging. I cared about her beating the terrorists. The story is simple and old school, taking us back to the cold war when the possibility of a nuclear attack was on everyone’s mind. I also liked the performance of Luke Bracey as the villain. That is, in both cases, for about 3 quarters of the movie. After that they are let down by the storyline that becomes completely unbelievable and which negates in a way everything that came before. It includes a fantastic race against the clock to avert doom at the last second. A bit like Mission Impossible but not so well done. The one actor I recognised was Chris Hemsworth, who plays a small, comical guest role. Wondering what the hell he was doing in this picture I found out he produced it and is also the husband of Elsa Pataki. In the end I like this movie better than Hidden Strike which I saw earlier. That one does have star quality but no characters to care for and no story to tell either.