INTERCEPTOR
Australia/US, 2022, 99 minutes, Colour.
Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta, Paul Caesar, Marcus Johnson, Zoe Carides, Chris Hemsworth.
Directed by Matthew Reilly.
In the old days, single hero exploits could be referred to as a “one-man band”. Interceptor is definitely the era of the “one-woman band”. This show is definitely for the action fans, the kinds of exploits we have seen in the past (as with Jean Claude van Damme, Steven Seagal as one-man bands), lots of action, lots of threats, lots of suspense, lots of last-minute – or, rather here, last-second – saving of the planet.
The film was written and directed by Matthew Reilly, a novelist for many years, this his first feature film, collaborating with popular writer Stuart Beattie. It is an Australian-US production, filmed in Sydney.
And the one-woman band, JJ, without any benefit of super-powers, is played by Elsa Pataky, who has appeared in the number of films but has tended to stay home bringing up her children with her husband, the executive producer of this film – and, comically playing a kind of Los Angeles “dude” selling televisions, Chris Hemsworth.
Matthew Reilly has created a dire world situation, and disillusioned with the US gangs stealing 16 nuclear weapons in Russia. They are mainly disaffected Americans, led by a seemingly charming psychopath played by Luke Bracey. His team have infiltrated one of the two interceptor-of-nuclear-missiles centres in Alaska. The other is a floating centre in the Pacific. JJ has experienced some sexual harassment by a top general in the past and he has been believed rather than she. Topical material and she has suffered for it. And she has been appointed to this floating centre. Almost immediately, it is attacked by the subversive team. So, suspense level raised early, how will she manage, presumption being that she will manage, with so much stacked against her.
Elsa Pataky as warrior is not strong on charm and personality. She is military, businesslike, loyal. And she has the backing of her father seen in a number of flashbacks (Colin Friel looking the worse for age and wear). She does have a loyal corporal technician, a married man with children, rather timid, but he does prove himself in courage. Otherwise, she has to rely on the moral support of the television link to the White House, to the President (Zoe Carides) and to the generals and their encouragement.
And, that is what happens. But, there is the psychological confrontation between the leader and JJ, each trying to use their wits but having to fall back on physical conflict. And there are quite a number of fights!
The tension is very strong because one of the missiles, aimed at an American city, with the rebels taking charge of television channels and threatening the US public, needs to be stopped by JJ who has been captured, hands bound behind her back. She has about six minutes of leeway. But, with that crisis out of the way, the other 15 nuclear missiles have been launched. How can JJ possibly press the interceptor button when she has been in the ocean, climbing steep rungs, having to leap from supporting bars to another, the clock ticking down?
It is no spoiler to say that she succeeds. That’s what we expect. The action adventure is in the audience identifying with JJ and the challenges and suspense in her trying to save the world.
