Rise of the Footsoldier Part II **½ (2015, Ricci Harnett, Luke Mably) – Movie Review

In the sequel to the 2007 hit Rise of the Footsoldier, the continuing story of the life of English underworld figure Carlton Leach proves a bit of a tour de force for writer-director star Ricci Harnett, who plays him again. Harnett is making his directorial debut.

As Leach tries to survive, make peace with and for his family, and eventually to quit the gang business he leads, a series of Krays-style gruesome crime events unfolds. Unfortunately, this then and then style narrative means that a storyline evades it and, unlike part one, it has no climax. So it feels like the middle film of a trilogy.

But, nevertheless, it is quite gripping and exciting with its strong Essex gangster atmosphere, believable acting, credible dialogue, and excellent photography. Obviously, with strong brutal violence and scenes of torture, it’s not for the faint-hearted, and it is also maybe a Guinness Book contender for uses of the C-word.

Luke Mably stands out as Leach’s sadistic crime buddy Shawn. Both Mably and Harnett are properly scary on screen. There was a time when Mably was in much gentler fare, The Prince and Me (2004), playing a cute Danish prince.

Rise of the Footsoldier 3: The Pat Tate Story is released in UK cinemas on 3 November 2017, starring the original loveable rogues Craig Fairbrass and Terry Stone as Pat Tate and Tony Tucker.

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© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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