Though unfamiliar to most folks in the United States, John Stratton is one of contemporary fiction's most popular heroes in the UK. Duncan Falconer has written nine novels featuring the character, loosely based on his own experiences in the SBS (the British equivalent of Navy SEALs).
Stratton is the first film in the series. Dominic Cooper stars as the fearless, whiskey-swilling title character. He tries to track a terrorist plotting to blow up London. Though there's nothing in here we haven't seen before, director Simon West (Con Air, The Mechanic) has a solid track record of making enjoyable action movies.
The cast also includes Connie Nielsen, Derek Jacobi, Tom Felton and Tyler Hoechlin.
Stratton premiered in the UK this fall, and is scheduled to open stateside on January 5.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
