Hunter Killer was based on the submarine thriller called Firing Point, which was published in 2012 and written by George Wallace & Don Keith.
When I first saw the trailer for Hunter Killer, I knew I wanted to watch it. Those are the types of movies I really enjoy. I’m a man of simple pleasures, I guess.
I also thought it may have been based on a book, so I did some research on the production of the movie and found that it was, indeed, based on a novel called Firing Point, which was published in 2012.
I immediately ordered a copy of the book and planned to read it prior to the movie being released in theaters. I managed to finish it before it did come out and then I went and saw the movie, starring Gerard Butler.
First, I think the novel, Firing Point, was a great read for anyone interested in Clancy-like novels a la The Hunt for Red October. This one is on par with that famed novel, and certainly worth the read—it is pretty long just like Clancy’s Hunt for Red October.
I will say that it is difficult to take a long, complex novel like Firing Point and make a movie out of it while still staying true to the plot of the actual novel it is supposed to be based on.
For example, the novel has a another layer to it that involves the stock market and its manipulation. This was completely absent from the movie, which didn’t really detract from its overall entertainment value. But that was a major difference between the book and the novel.
I will say that the novel Firing Point is more complex than the movie Hunter Killer, as you can expect, but pound-for-pound, I would say each is very worth the time to read and watch. They are close enough in plot to appreciate each medium but the plots are also different enough to not feel like you are reading the script of the movie in the book itself. That’s never fun.
Bottom line, if you liked Hunter Killer, then you would certainly like the book. The detail of the submarines in particular is exhaustive in detail and certainly adds a lot to the narrative.
I was surprised at how much flack Hunter Killer got from the critics. It did not rate well in any of the major review websites I looked at, which surprised me. If you knew what you were going to be watching, none of the over the top action and unbelievability should have come as a surprise, which seemed to be the case for these so-called movie critics.
Meanwhile, the novel Firing Point certainly got a lot of praise, it has a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars and is seemingly a universally entertaining novel for those readers that are into the genre.
Check it out if you like anything by Tom Clancy or are interested in military thrillers—especially navy and submarine warfare.