Interceptor is a diverting enough actioner that is sort of a throwback to the kinds of action flicks they used to make in the ‘90s. It has a Die Hard-ish type of plot with a touch of reheated neo-Cold War paranoia in there for good measure. While it has one or two neat action beats here and there, it never quite puts the pedal to the metal. Still, it’s not bad for lazy Sunday afternoon entertainment.
Elsa Pataky stars as a demoted Army captain assigned to a military installation in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The base contains the only missiles capable of stopping an all-out nuclear attack on American soil. Naturally, terrorists siege the base with the intention of frying the firing mechanism and launching a nuclear assault on the good old U.S. of A. Pataky winds up being the last woman standing to fend off the terrorists and becomes (as one character puts it) “the only thing standing between America and Armageddon!”.
I enjoyed Pataky in the Fast and Furious sequels (not to mention Beyond Re-Animator), so it was nice to see her taking the lead role in a scrappy B-action flick. It’s a decent vehicle for her talents as she gets to play a capable, badass woman who can take out a bunch of dudes singlehandedly. The action is competently staged for the most part, although the cramped confines of the missile base (there’s basically just one hallway and a command center) doesn’t give much leeway in terms of variety. We do get at least one gnarly kill (a beheading), but the film really needed another rousing moment (or two) to put it over the top.
Pataky, of course, is the wife of Chris Hemsworth, who also produced. He even shows up in a funny cameo as a nerdy TV salesman who happens to watch the events of the film unfold live on television. He manages to inject some levity into the proceedings, although his occasional appearances don’t exactly jibe with tone of the rest of the film.
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