Deterrence (Widescreen)

This is a very well-conceived movie and the superb Kevin Pollak was a great choice as the Pres. If I have a criticism at all, it is that the movie suggests that the reason the US could not engage the invading Iraqi army is that most of their troops were positioned to deal with North Korea at that time.

This is unlikely, as the Korean situation is very simple, in that there is an infinitely greater chance that the US would use Tac Nukes against any invading force as a first resort. If North Korea ever began a barrage of the South Korean capital (a city of 10 million people), they would be able to effectively destroy it with conventional rockets and shells during the first 24-48 hours, causing millions of casualties.

There is no doubt in the minds of any military analysts that the US would have to go nuclear and on a massive scale well within the first two hours. While the North Korean capital would almost certainly receive a 'deterrence'-style surrender or die message from the US, the main thrust would be the large scale use of heavy tactical and even strategic nuclear weapons against the launch areas for the rocket tubes etc., many of which have been embedded to make them difficult to bomb. Neutron weapons would be one of the most effective responses for this type of target.

Not a pleasant topic and one that we all hope will remain in the realms of the theoretical, but then again, that's up to the North Korean leader.

Deterrence captures the life or death nature of this kind of diplomacy and is an important reminder of the stakes involved.

The only other criticism is that (Don't read on if you don't want to know anything about the film, I'm about to mention a plot event...) when the diner owner shoots and wounds the military aide carrying the briefcase containing the launch codes, there is NO WAY the Security people would stand there, pointing their guns at him trying to talk him down and risk that he will fire a fatal shot, thus making it impossible to open the briefcase. The guy would have been tomato paste after getting off the first round.

All in all a great movie. Essential viewing for dictators everywhere.

It is the future (2008, to be exact) when President Walter Emerson (Kevin Pollack) stops over at a little diner in Colorado during a snowstorm. Conditions are so bad outside that the man cannot even get a helicopter in to transport him out of the area. Emerson is pounding the pavement around the country in order to secure his party's nomination for a run at the White House. He is president, but only because he assumed the office after his predecessor suddenly died. The political battle is close, and it will soon get much closer when an international tragedy of epic dimensions erupts in the Middle East. While Emerson schmoozes with a few of the people trapped in the diner, his aides make the shocking announcement that Saddam Hussein's son, now the leader of Iraq, has launched a surprise attack on Kuwait and wiped out a contingent of U.S. Marines stationed there. Even worse, Iraq claims to possess nuclear weapons and threatens to unleash a holocaust of unprecedented proportions if Emerson attempts to dislodge the Iraqi army now ravaging Kuwait. The president is in a quandary; he must consider his response in terms of the upcoming election, but he must also deal decisively with the Iraqi situation with only a few laptop computers and a satellite phone at his disposal. Serving as the leader of the free world can really drag.

Incredibly, President Emerson uses a news crew following his campaign to make a live newscast to the nation where he threatens to drop an atomic device on Baghdad within a few hours if the Iraqi leadership fails to withdraw its troops. The prez doesn't stonewall, doesn't beg for more time to consider his options, doesn't check polls before making a decision; he steps right up to the camera, delivers his ultimatum, and begins to monitor the situation. What leadership! What chutzpah! Well, that is the problem. Emerson's Chief of Staff Marshall Thompson (Timothy Hutton) occasionally drifts into the foreground to question the motivations of such a brazen decree. He points out that nuking Baghdad is equivalent to dropping a bomb on the birthplace of the human race. Thompson also wonders about the potential fallout sure to batter the gates when Emerson, a Jew, attacks an Arab nation with such a devastating device. Further complicating matters are a series of increasingly irate phone calls between the president and the Iraqi ambassador, communications that take on downright sinister implications when the Iraqi's claim to possess a bundle of nuclear weapons located on ships around the world. They will launch these bombs at American targets, says the ambassador, unless Emerson accepts the invasion. Predictably, one of these targets is Washington, D.C. where the president's family waits for his return.

If you cannot tell, I liked "Deterrence." I started out with doubts as I loaded the DVD in the machine, however. I worried about Kevin Pollack turning in a competent performance as the president, a worry completely unfounded as the first few minutes of the movie unfolded. What really gave me a positive feel for the guy was how he worked the locals at the diner. Anyone who has seen a politician in action will instantly recognize Emerson's breezy familiarity with people he met mere seconds ago. I thought these initial scenes really helped set up the idea of Pollack playing the president. Who knew a comedian who does such a killer impression of William Shatner's Captain Kirk could pull off a role requiring him to resolve more moral dilemmas than Plato? For the most part, the supporting cast does an adequate job backing up Pollack's essentially one-man show. What didn't work as well was the cast of locals in the diner. For a large part of the movie they simply fade into the woodwork until one of the shocking twists at the conclusion requires their presence.

Anyone who says they saw the twist conclusion coming from miles away is not telling the truth. Although this denouement is arguably too pat, it did instantly change the entire scope of the film. There is that great moment when you learn why the president does what he does and you quickly scan your memory of the preceding scenes in order to see what clues the director gave you in advance. They are there, but you won't see them until the very end. As for the DVD version of "Deterrence," there is a commentary track from the director but that's about it. No matter, though, since "Deterrence" is a great thriller and a grand continuation of a genre that could have disappeared with the Berlin Wall. Enjoy.