Based on The Hostage – book number one of eight in the John Stratton series by Duncan Falconer – Stratton is about John Stratton (surprise!), a Special Boat Service operative (played by Dominic Cooper) who is currently tracking an international terrorist cell. The film opens in the middle of a mission which goes wrong (as these things do). Stratton’s partner dies and he returns to England in the knowledge that someone is on to him. He’s set up with a new partner (one who inevitability had a link to the old partner) and they go to MI5 to work out the next steps. The mission will bring out the best in some (possible love interest Gemma Chan) and the worst in others (slimeball Tom Felton) as Stratton will macho-maverick-man his way to the truth. Other than that infamous and inaccurate use of London geography, and Cooper’s meh performance, there’s not all that much left to say about Stratton. The script is mediocre – an early on gag involving the use of the word ‘literally’ defined how things were going to be. The supporting performances seem to involve everybody playing themselves. Chan’s character is indistinguishable from her role as Mia in Humans – both involve measured responses to what other characters have said and playing with computers. Felton’s character seems like a watered-down version of Draco Malfoy, a 30-year-old progression-minded posh-boy civil-servant type. Connie Nielsen, as Stratton’s boss, is the character who brings the most clichés to proceedings and the kind of attempt at an English accent that has to be heard to be believed. Derek Jacobi is the, albeit slightly out-of-place, highlight as Stratton’s father figure. The worst possible crimes an action movie can commit are either being boring or convoluted. Stratton is both of those things to an extent that is both boring and convoluted. A sequel is not required nor wanted.