Hunter Killer

Marquee-fave Gerard Butler’s latest cosplay involves donning the guise of an American submarine captain, navigating the rough waters of WWII, in an entertaining but lacking water-set thriller

Scripted by Jamie Moss and Arne Schmidt, “Hunter Killer” assigns Captain Glass (Butler, more serious than he needs to be here) on the lookout for an in-trouble sub, when he discovers a Russian coup in the making, threatening to turn the globe to dust. Leaving the radar for a spell, Glass is forced to lead a group of SEALs as they rescue a kidnapped Russian president and go undetected through enemy waters.

If director Marsh had balanced the silly to serious ratio a little better, offering up as many light moments as there are dark, the sub-thriller could easily have matched entertainment value with the likes of similar-themed ’90s popcorn fare like “U-571” and “Crimson Tide”.  Sadly,  the sombre, nostalgic actioner forgets to have some fun while dishing up its tale of watery heroics and as such will likely lose a few spectators throughout its voyage.

A polished movie, delicately photographed and with a terrific supporting cast – including Gary Oldman, Linda Cardellini, Common, and Michael Nyqvist – “Hunter Killer” looks better than it plays.

Blu-ray : With a reference-quality 2.40:1 transfer and an ear-hurting Dolby Atmos HD 7.1 soundtrack, this is a disc to show off to friends when they visit to check out the hot new home entertainment system you’ve purchased. Yep, it’s that good.

A commentary and all-encompassing featurette included.