Wholly unbelievable with lots of bad acting but still kinda’ fun describes Interceptor. A step up from One Shot, but still the kind of movie that too often appears on Netflix. Perhaps all you need to know is that Elsa Pataky is the wife of Chris Hemsworth (Thor). Would the movie get made without his silly cameo appearance as a TV salesman in L.A.? Maybe, since the budget was not to exceed $15 million. Is our missile defense system really this vulnerable? In a word, no!
The premise for Interceptor is that terrorists steal 16 Topol-M missiles from a Russian base in Tavlinka. Aimed at sixteen cities in the U.S., the intent is to destroy America. The Americans have two early warning stations to detect and shoot down nuclear missiles, one at Fort Greely, Alaska, the other a seaborne platform known as SBX-1. It takes 24 minutes for a missile launched from Russia to hit the U.S. However, the missiles pass Greely and SBX-1 in twelve minutes. If they successfully pass those stations, then 300 million people will die. In this case, terrorists overlooked one strong-willed woman, Captain JJ Collins. I give Interceptor 3.0 Gavels and it receives a 50% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a poor 4.4/10 IMDb score.
Plot
Word arrives on SBX-1 that Fort Greely is under attack. Terrorists disabled its interceptors and SBX-1 is the only early warning interceptor base capable of responding to any launch. About to initiate lockdown security procedures, Capt. Collins and crew come under fire by Alexander Kessel and his henchmen. Able to secure the command center, it will take 60 minutes for Kessel to cut through the doors. SEALS are on the way to rescue SBX-1, but won’t arrive for another 90 minutes. A Russian sub lurks nearby. What is it that Kessel wants and will Collins be able to hold him off?
Actors
Elsa Pataky is not a complete unknown, seen as Elena in the Fast and Furious franchise, movies 5-8. Purportedly trained by her husband up to five hours per day, let’s say he’s a better action hero. But then, the film would not have been able to touch hot-button issues such as sexual harassment in the military. If Interceptor were not beneath the Golden Raspberries, then surely Luke Bracey would be a shoo-in for Worst Bad Guy as Kessel. Kessel is a bad guy with “daddy issues.” How novel. You’ve seen Bracey in Holidate and will see him again in the upcoming Elvis.
Final Thoughts
Ever notice how many time the bad guy has the hero in his clutches, but his ego won’t allow him to kill him just yet. And, it always backfires. When will they ever learn? SBX-1 stands for Sea-based X-band Radar. HVAR is High Value Asset Removal, in this case meaning sink it! Even in mediocre films, you learn something.
“It’s fine. It gets the job done . . . but Chuck Norris would have had more fun with it.” RogerEbert.com
“Look no further than the torturous new movie Interceptor to understand why users are abandoning Netflix in droves. Ten dollars, they realize, can buy them the reliable joy of a cold beer, or two $5 foot-longs from Subway, instead of a subscription to a streaming service that’s turned into an ongoing competition to make the world’s worst movie.” New York Post
“As preposterous as it is entertaining.” San Jose Mercury News
“A cheesy C-movie polished up to look like a B.” Movie Nation
Don’t expect much and you won’t be disappointed.
