Have you ever started a movie and known instantly you are going to hate it? Well, Netflix’s recently launched action film “Interceptor,” directed by Mathew Reilly, is one such film. Airing on Netflix on May 26, the film stars actor Elsa Pataky who is best known for her role as Elena Neves in the “Fast and Furious” franchise. Pataky plays the role of Captain JJ Collins who has been reassigned to Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX-1), a floating and self-propelled mobile early-warning radar station designed to operate in high winds and heavy seas. Being one of the two United States Army military outposts, this missile defense complex is the first line of defense America holds against Russian bombs. SBX-1, located in the middle of the pacific, holds the ability to shoot down missiles headed for the U. S.

“Interceptor” doesn’t spend much time on the plot of the story. In fact, less than 10 minutes into the movie Captain John Welsh (Paul Caesar), who was in charge of the facility and relaying information about nearby Russian subs, gets his face blown off. After this graphic scene, fights make up the entirety of the movie. The main premise of “Interceptor,” however, centers around the infiltration of Fort Greely: one of the missile defense complexes. Leaving SBX-1 to save the U.S. from total destruction in the event of a nuclear strike, Captain JJ Collins immediately finds her crew under attack by SBX-1 insiders who concealed their identities as Janitors and who are working on behalf of the Russians. 

Bloodshed, graphic violence and the sounds of people screaming are constant throughout the entire hour and 36 minutes. In fact, according to Pataky in an interview with Collider, she had to learn over 800 moves for all the fight scenes. A handful of the stunts are impressive; however, most of the choreography is sluggish and unrealistic. The movie continues to be unrealistic from her ability to defeat so many infiltrators to how they are killed and injured in the first place. For instance, a man’s finger is cut entirely off, the barrel of a gun is forced into a man’s eye, there are gunshots to the head followed by frowny faces drawn in the dripping blood. To top it all off, a woman gets stabbed in the neck with a trophy and another character is decapitated on screen after he is hanged by razor wire around his neck. The absurdity of all these deaths pairs well with the idiocy of Collin’s constant successes in combat. As a five-foot-three petite woman, her beating a seven-foot burly Russian agent is hard to believe.

Along with this theme of implausibility, Captain JJ Collins is faced with the impossible (and what should be an entertaining) task of stopping 16 nuclear missiles from detonating in the U.S. This movie, despite all the shock and gore, is predictable; and with that predictability, it lacks captivating its audience. It is easy to predict that the SEAL Team will never be there when Collins needs it, just like how it’s easy to foretell that she’ll likely manage to save the day each time with seconds to spare.

The movie also attempts to address modern gender politics and social issues, touching on the overarching subject of sexual assault and the mistreatment of women in the military by exploring past traumas in Collins’ career and life. Nonetheless, their connection to why she should hate the U. S. does not work out as the director planned. It ultimately just feels out of place and added in out of a need for making the show about something other than fighting. 

The movie is absurd in many ways and because of that, it offers an unintended comedic relief. Regardless, the trailer and caption lead on more than it’s worth. Overall, if I could take back the part of my life that I spent watching this movie, I would. Nevertheless, “Interceptor” can offer you some decent background noise when working on homework or various projects. As long as you do not mind the constant sounds of screaming and guns going off, this movie might be it for you!