Stratton (film)

Stratton is a 2017 British action thriller film directed by Simon West, based on the novel series of same name by Duncan Falconer. The series' lead character John Stratton is played by Dominic Cooper, while the rest of the cast includes Gemma Chan, Austin Stowell, Tyler Hoechlin, and Tom Felton. Principal photography on the film began on 15 July 2015 in Brindisi, Italy. The film was released in the UK on 1 September 2017.

Stratton
Directed bySimon West
Produced byMatthew Jenkins
Written by
Based onStratton series
by Duncan Falconer
Starring
Music byNathaniel Méchaly
CinematographyFelix Wiedemann
Edited byAndrew MacRitchie
Production
companies
GFM Films
Release date
  • 1 September 2017 (2017-09-01) (United Kingdom)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£12.9 million[1]

Plot

After a failed mission to destroy an Iranian bioweapon, British Special Boat Service operator Sergeant John Stratton, working for the Intelligence Detachment in Northern Ireland, tracks down the terrorist cell who used the mission as cover to steal the weapon for their own purposes. Due to the failed mission Stratton suspects a mole. His boss Sumner recognizes the terrorist leader as Grigory Barovsky, a Russian spy, presumed dead for nearly twenty years. They learn a bomb maker has developed a drone system to disperse the bioweapon, and track the terrorists to Rome.

There is a speedboat chase with heavy gunfire, before the final action sequence, which takes place in London with the poison device loaded onto a British double-decker bus (so as to blend in), configured to automatically deploy through an opening cut into the bus's roof once it arrives at a location preprogrammed into the device's firmware.

Cast

Production

On 3 November 2014 it was announced that Henry Cavill would next star in the action thriller film Stratton, to be produced by his own banner Promethean Productions, Amber Entertainment, and GFM Films.[2] It would be based on Duncan Falconer's eight-novel series of the same name, featuring the lead character John Stratton, an SBS soldier working for the Intelligence Detachment in Northern Ireland.[2] The film, produced by Ileen Maisel and Lawrence Elman, who also bought the film rights to the novel, would be set in Southern Italy, Rome and London.[2]

On 25 February 2015 Simon West was hired to direct the film, which was fully financed by GFM Films.[3] Five days before the filming was set to begin, Cavill exited the film due to creative differences with the script.[4] Later it was announced that Dominic Cooper would take over the title role.

Other cast members include Gemma Chan, Austin Stowell, Tyler Hoechlin, and Tom Felton.[5] More cast was announced by Screen Daily, which included Thomas Kretschmann, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen and Jake Fairbrother.[6]

According to Hardman & Co. the budget for Stratton was £12.9m and Ober Private Clients assisted GFM in the financing of this film through an EIS fund raise.[1] The 30 June 2017 confirmation statement for Stratton Film Productions Limited filed at the UK's Companies House suggests EIS investors contributed £3,358,000 towards financing the film. Accounts filed at UK's Companies House disclose the production of the film was partly financed with a £7.5m loan from GFM films. According to Hardman & Co. HMRC contributed £2m to producing the film with tax credit subsidies.[1]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on 15 July 2015 in Brindisi, Lecce, Squinzano and Casalabate, Italy, and then the shooting would move to Rome and then to London.[6] Filming was previously set to begin on 2 June, but was rescheduled after Cavill left the film.[4]

Reception

Box office

Stratton was released in UK cinemas on 1 January 2017. As at 1 September 2017, the film had generated $70,917 gross receipts (ticket sales) at the UK box office and $95,743 worldwide.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Stratton has an approval rating of 0% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 3.20/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Stratton's action-thriller ambitions are roundly thwarted by a derivative story, misguided casting, and a low-budget feel underscored by unimpressive set pieces."[7] On Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 26 out of 100, based on reviews from 10 critics.[8]

Kim Newman of Empire gives the film 2 out of 5. "Dialogue is all-cliché, a decent cast get not much to go on [...], and even the action scenes have a rushed, unfinished feel." Newman praises Chan as "the standout player". Director Simon West doesn't match "the high-water mark of his lunatic debut Con Air."[9] Peter Bradshaw gave the film 2 out 5 stars, calling it a "medium-budget, moderately silly action-thriller" and that it "is partly redeemed by its cheerfully outrageous finale involving a chase-slash-shootout with a car and a double-decker London bus somewhere in the countryside. That's good value." Bradshaw is critical of Derek Jacobi's minor role and of Connie Nielsen's "bizarre British accent".[10] Tim Robey of The Telegraph sums up the film: "Wholly useless, entirely harmless, Stratton would be good clean fun, if it was good or fun."[11]

Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter was critical of the "creaky script and dim-witted plot" saying the film "offers little but dusty old thriller cliches borrowed from better films."[12] Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote: "Solidly professional in overall packaging yet clichéd, pedestrian and indistinct in specific contributions, this thriller never finds (let alone raises) its own pulse."[13]

References
  1. "EIS Provider Review" (PDF). Hardman & Co. 5 April 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 January 2019.
  2. Fleming, Mike Jr. (3 November 2014). "Henry Cavill's Promethean Shingle Soars With Action Thriller 'Stratton'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  3. McNary, Dave (25 February 2015). "Simon West to Direct Henry Cavill in 'Stratton'". Variety. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  4. McNary, Dave (28 May 2015). "Henry Cavill Ditches Action-Thriller 'Stratton'". Variety. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  5. McNary, Dave (9 July 2015). "Dominic Cooper Replaces Henry Cavill in Action-Thriller 'Stratton'". Variety. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  6. Rosser, Michael (9 July 2015). "Dominic Cooper replaces Henry Cavill in 'Stratton'; full cast revealed". Screen Daily. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  7. "Stratton (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  8. "Stratton". Metacritic.
  9. Kim Newman (30 August 2017). "Stratton". Empire.
  10. Bradshaw, Peter (1 September 2017). "Stratton review – Dominic Cooper is stubbly special-forces tough guy". The Guardian.
  11. Robey, Tim (31 August 2017). "Stratton review: Dominic Cooper is lethally bland in this dull action flop". The Telegraph.
  12. "'Stratton': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  13. Harvey, Dennis (5 January 2018). "Film Review: 'Stratton'". Variety.
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