Bullet Points: Attack on the Queen
Tubi has received a lot of praise from the staff of this site in the past and it is about to receive some more… Not only is it the best streaming service for showcasing titles from the golden era of the video store, it is also giving new life to made for TV movies like 2002’s Attack on the Queen…
- Something Fishy: The movie begins in the Philippine Sea, where the crew of the nuclear submarine Lijiang respond to a distress signal from a fishing boat. I wouldn’t think a nuclear submarine would take the time to respond to a distress signal, but what the hell do I know!?! It turns out that this was not a fisherman and his wife in need… it turns out the boat was filled with gun toting freedom fighters who have an issue with the People’s Republic of China and get one over on them by assuming control of the Lijiang. This can’t be good.
- Bad Blood: The movie then moves over to Fairfax, Virginia where we see Thomas Kellogg (Rob Estes, Silk Stalkings), showing Brittany Cooper (Rachel Blakely, Mr. Nice Guy) some good ol’ fashioned American hospitality with an extreme bike ride in the park followed by taking her to his nephew Joshua’s birthday party. It’s at the party where we meet Tom’s brother, Vince Kellogg (Joe Lando, Sniper: Ultimate Kill). At this point we learn that Vince is with the Secret Service, Tom is with the ATF and that there has been tension between the two ever since their brother Jack (Joshua’s dad) died in a rock climbing accident.
- Exploding Van Dot Com: Tom, Brittany and Vince all have a part in what is being called the Summit on the Sea. This historic voyage from New York to London aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 will serve as the meeting place for the President of the United States, Elinor Shaw, and President Woo of the People’s Republic of China. As a Secret Service agent, Vince will be making the trip (despite his landlubber ways). Brittany is the security officer on the Queen Elizabeth 2 and Thomas will be on the team doing a sweep for any bombs before the Queen Elizabeth 2 departs… and wouldn’t you know it, Thomas not only finds a bomb on the undercarriage of a van dropping off supplies for the voyage, Thomas puts himself in harm’s way by jumping in the van and driving it as far away from the Queen Elizabeth 2 as possible with the time ticking away before jumping out at the last minute before the van explodes!
- The Show Must Go On: President Shaw and President Woo refuse to be deterred by the terror attempt on this all-important summit, so the Queen Elizabeth 2 shoves off as planned… but not before Thomas is invited to lunch at the White House when President Shaw returns form the Summit on the Sea… Tom will be busy in the interim investigating the driver of the van with the bomb in it along with the FBI.. I do need to point out that action movie star Thad Burrows is also on board along with the latest “Burrows Girl” Monica Chang to give some Tai Chi lessons to the two Presidents on board. I wouldn’t think an action movie star would be invited to teach Tai Chi to heads of state, but what the hell do I know?!?! It isn’t long into the voyage that we find out that Monica Chang is not just some actress that Thad met while filming in Hong Kong, she is an extremist who is in cahoots with the guys that commandeered the nuclear submarine at the start of the movie and they are after China’s nuclear codes and independence for Chang’s native Taiwan!
- Here We Go: Now we get a little Under Siege type action (aka Die Hard on a boat) with sea sick Vince not being in the dining room when Monica Chang and her team on the inside take over… We get Thomas making a near impossible HALO jump so he can get on board and help his brother save the day… We get some Navy SEALS evening the odds for the good guys… We get a Monica vs. Brittany fight… And last but not least, a submarine battle!
Attack on the Queen overdelivered with way more action than I would have expected from a made for basic cable TV movie. The trio of credible and likeable heroes only added to the enjoyment factor… I knew of Joe Lando but this was honestly the first thing I ever saw him in and it was also my first opportunity to see Rachel Blakely in action. Both made strong first impressions with me… As a devoted Silk Stalkings viewer from way back I was already a Rob Estes fan and he did not let me down here as the fearless and cocky adrenaline junkie, Thomas Kellogg… Throw in some family differences and the time constraints our heroes are working under and there was some drama and suspense to compliment the action.
These Bonus Bullet Points are intended to compliment this review…
- AKA: Attack on the Queen is probably better known as Counterstrike.
- If You Ever: …wanted to see the President of the United States and the President of the People’s Republic of China play ping pong, then Attack on the Queen is the movie for you.
- Based on the Book: Attack on the Queen was a novel written by the master of naval fiction, Richard P. Henrick, who also wrote Crimson Tide.
- Suggestion Box: Thanks to friend of the site, Andrew Babcock, for the heads up on this one and the fact that it was streaming on Tubi. Usually Andrew suggests things that require me to purchase obscure DVDs. Although after watching, I’d gladly pay to have Attack on the Queen in my collection.
