Sweeney 2 *** (1978, John Thaw, Dennis Waterman, Denholm Elliott, Barry Stanton, Nigel Hawthorne, Georgina Hale) – Classic Movie Review 8744

Director Tom Clegg’s 1978 Sweeney 2 is the slightly disappointing, less good sequel to the successful 1977 big-screen movie spinoff Sweeney! from the hit John Thaw and Dennis Waterman TV series.

The London Flying Squad cops Regan (Thaw) and Carter (Waterman) investigates a nasty gang of Brits based in Malta who are behind various armed bank jobs back home in the capital.

Sweeney 2 is longer and more ambitious and tougher toned than the original, but is over-extended and lacking in enough of the hoped-for pace and action thrills. However, it is redeemed by the credibility of characters, the darkly playful dialogue, and by the performances.

And it is again particularly well played by the bantering double act of Thaw as the villain-hating crime squad cop Detective Inspector Jack Regan and decent sidekick Waterman as Detective Sergeant George Carter, and a splendid roster of Seventies British character actors giving lively performances.

This time the script is by Troy Kennedy Martin, brother of The Sweeney TV series creator Ian Kennedy Martin.

Also in the cast are Barry Stanton, Denholm Elliott, Nigel Hawthorne, Georgina Hale, Lewis Fiander, James Warrior, Derrick O’Connor, John Flanagan, David Casey, Ken Hutchison, John Alkin, Michael J Jackson, Brian Hall, John Lyons, Matthew Scurfield, Patrick Malahide, Arthur Cox, Michael O’Hagan, Anna Gael, Fiona Mollison, Sarah Atkinson, George Mikell, Diana Weston, Anna Nygh, George Innes, Roddy McMillan, Guy Standeven, Brian Gwaspari, Johnny Shannon, Diana Weston, Marc Zuber, Leon Lissek and Frederick Treves.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8744

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