Dog’s Movie House: “Interceptor” Interesting, If Flawed, Netflix Original!

“Interceptor” features Elsa Pataky as Captain J.J. Collins, a tough commander with a past involving sexual abuse that has made her a pariah within the military. She is reassaigned to the ocean Interceptor base just as the other base in Alaska is taken off line by terrorists. Before she can unpack, another group of terrorists attempt to take over the station and she, along with a couple of survivors manage to lock themselves in the command center. J.J. then runs into Alexander (Luke Bracey) a former U.S. operative who is working to destabilize American by launching 16 nuclear warheads at specific targets. In order to do that he has to shut down the two Interceptor sites. J.J. finds that she is the only thing standing between the terrorists and nuclear Armeggedon.

It’s a simple enough plot and has been done better in other films, but “Interceptor” benefits from a few novel ideas. J.J.’s past as a victim of sexual harassment and the resulting backlash that results in her ostrasization from the Army really informs her character. It’s even used as a plot device late in the film. There is also the idea of the Interceptor sites themselves, an aspect that I don’t think has ever been put to film before. The action sequences are fairly well done for the most part, with the actors holding their own during the fight scenes.

The film suffers from some uneven performances, especially Pataky. She does a decent job for the most part, but sometimes her accent gets in the way of really selling some of the more emotional scenes. She’s a good physical actress, however, and is a convincing soldier. Bracey is good as the villain, adding a icy calm to his villainous demeanor. He kind of unravels a bit at the end, but up until then he’s pretty good. The rest of the performances are a tad underwritten, but it doesn’t really damage this kind of film.

The effects are serviceable for the most part, but there are a couple of scenes (involving the missiles) that betray the low budget nature of the film. The script by director Matthew Reilly and Stuart Beattie has a tendency to stretch credibility, especially in the time sensitive finale. (Trying to get up the rig with one arm in four minutes, while suspenseful, strains credibility to the breaking point.) The film overall is pretty entertaining and action packed, a pleasant enough diversion in between summer blockbusters. 3 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

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