The Interceptor - Cold as Ice

The Interceptor (2009) 

Director: Konstantin Maximov

Stars: Igor Petrenko, Aleksandr Baluev, Andrey Chubchenko and Aleksey Dmitriev

The Interceptor was a film I’ve been meaning to see for a while. I picked it up cheaply on blu-ray for a small price, nothing I would complain about after watching the film. I had seen the trailer and, like Night Watch and Day Watch, looked like a great visual spin on science fiction.

I had watched a Russian sci-fi prior to this, Paragraph 78. A group of commandos get locked inside a quarantined research bunker and get infected with a deadly virus. Their decision, fight to the death – last one blows it all up. Fun times indeed, it saddens me that it’s still yet to get a release anywhere outside Russia (or Brazil).

But I’m digressing. The Interceptor from first glance seems to keep up the good work modern Russian cinema has had lately. If anything, The Interceptor is definitely visual with some great stunt work.

Apart from that, it just feels cold to its audience.

The basic plot sees mystical powerful people from a future time over watching Russia in 2013. These people identify that a great evil is coming to take over and decide to select a Russian special agent called Matvey (Petrenko) to be their weapon of justice against the growing evil. The evil creature, who looks like a villain from Resident Evil, takes its own host in this special’s agent former partner, Kurylo (Baluev), now arms dealer. Thus begins to journey towards their inevitable fight to the death.

Just first, throw in random subplots involving violent political vigilantes, a forgotten romance and a deadly psychosis weapon that can kill. Yep, silly games indeed. Oh a mysterious man who will teach Matvey the secret powers he's been keeping dormant.

As I said earlier, The Interceptor is filmed beautifully. There are some stonking barmy action sequences involving a car driving under a flipping jeep, as well as a great little punch up in a warehouse. There has clearly been a budget and its been used well. More entertaining that a fast cut MTV style actioner anyday.

The problem with The Interceptor is just it feels cold to anyone watching it. You don’t really get a sense of danger or a remote sense of connection with your ice cold hero, Matvey. He just plods from point a to b, effortlessly kicking ass, learning more powers. That’s it. He’s not really that charming. Plus it might require extra viewings to even remotely get an understand what the hell is going on with these mystical sci-fi lords that just pop in and out as we go on.

I could sum it up nicely as Highlander meets Bourne to a degree. If you like the current crop of Russian action and science fiction, The Interceptor is at least one watch. Just don’t expect it to be grateful for your time.