Review : The Sweeney

THE SWEENEY : A Crime thriller with Ray Winston and Ben Drew (aka Plan B) which evolves a police department in rival competition to take down criminal robbers. However things don't quite go according to plan.

Hey Everyone

Welcome to my next film review which is 2012's crime action drama, 'The Sweeney'.

Now I should point out that if your expecting this movie to be anything like the TV series. It isn't. What it looks like to me is the producers or the writers have took the name from the TV show and stuck it on the paper of this script as a means of dragging in an audience. This film is nothing like the TV series, I ought to know because I've seen a couple of episodes of the TV Series and yes, to put it bluntly there is nothing in terms of resemblance apart from the title.

However this film is a great film for drama, for an action thriller, you just end up running with it. It never boars its a genuine epic story with lots of pumped up intensity to make all the more enjoyable to watch. I mean Ray Winston is just fantastic in this film, because he plays such a cold character, a lot of time he walks around in his pants, So if you go into this film expecting for the TV Show you won't get it, but what you will get is Ray Winston walking around in his pants.

As far as the acting in this concerned the cast for this was very carefully chosen, I mean there are some cast members in there that I know off other things I've seen, and that's why I am familiar with them. But there are a lot of good cast members in this. Stephen Mackintosh, Hayley Atwell, Kara Tointon, Damian Lewis to name a few names, all of which are actors I like and perform well in stuff like this.

The Director Nick Lowe really gives off a great sense of excitement and passion into this project and captivates some excellent shots of London, and a British feel. Shows off our country in a really confidant light.

The story is the main fall for me, and the pacing of it. The story evolves around one central character which is Jack Reagan is a slobbish,old style cop whose unsubtle methods usually get results,to the annoyance of internal affairs officer Lewis,who would be even more annoyed if he knew that Reagan was having an affair with his young wife,policewoman Nancy.

The problem with going down a root of directing the story through one character is, because you've only got that path to take, there isn't much you can do except that, there is much diverse paths you can take. I didn't feel it was the best decision to made for this particular film.

Anyway back to the story, after Reagan disobeys the orders and a shoot-out in central London following a bank hold-up ends in carnage he is stripped of office and briefly imprisoned. However,thanks to the loyalty of his young protege George Carter and a little string pulling from his superior Frank Haskins Jack is released to bring down the villains, ensuring the continued existence of his department - the Sweeney.

Here's a clip.

   

I think what lots of people don't appreciate about this film or what is the films main failure is, it's supposed to fun. It's supposed to be exaggerated and over the top and not taken seriously, because it is fun. It's a good pop corn flick to go to and enjoy for it being what it is. a crime thriller.

The effects and the music communicate this very well, I would agree in some places some of it wasn't needed. But over all it was a constructive piece of score and cause to effect presented as an assistance to help tell the story well.

 

Overall. I really liked this film. I didn't love it. But I do enjoy it as a crime thriller.

I will give it a 6/10 for trying.

NEXT : I will review American Hustle.