Rise of the Footsoldier: Part II (2015)

best movie i've ever seen.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER PART II is one of those mindless little British gangster films made on a very low budget indeed. If you've seen the first film in this series, you'll know the story was conclusively tied up at the climax, leaving this a pointless sequel following a peripheral and minor character. What kills this film is the absolutely diabolical script, which is full of endless expletives and no kind of with at all. The main actor seems bored by the whole experience and the plot is a mindless mash up of male testosterone and antagonism in warehouses, strip joints, and nightclubs.

In the vault of unnecessary sequels, this has to be up there with The Last Exorcism 2, Single White Female 2, and 8mm 2. The film serves nothing more than to be a vanity project for Writer, Director, Caterer, and Star, Harnett.The first Rising of the Footsoldier was pretty solid stuff to be fair, it was the umpteenth telling of those shootings, and why and how they took place. They featured all your favourite bad boys from cockney based soaps, and had more C words in it than the song 'My Coo Coo Ca Choo'. But it was purely filler, and was milking the dregs of a strange phenomena that Ritchie started in late nineties, and Nick Love continued to semi revive in the mid- nineties.........that of the British crime movie, and then merging your cockney wide boy story with added on true events for good measure.And in the last few years, they have been coming out on DVD almost every other week, and almost every one features the word Essex in the title.So this is basically 'what Carlton did next' and if this film is anything to go by, it's that he goes totally paranoid, almost loses everything because although he's getting on in his years, he still wants to be the hardest man on the street.Now, with any other film, you would conclude that the writer is stretching the truth just a little bit, but when you have the real Leach appear in the film for nothing more than to hug his fictional counterpart, you wonder if it's all above board, or whether some people have huge egos.And it's just another atypical, by the numbers gangster movie that has absolutely nothing new to offer. So the film consists of Harnett having a fight, getting paranoid, having a fight, getting paranoid, getting his family paranoid, and so on and so on.None of the characters are likable, the film glamorises idiotic, beer swilling louts who like nothing more than to smash stuff up, treat women like animals, but are the salt of the earth, because they are loyal.You've seen it all before, better and worse, and there now must be at least fifteen to twenty films in this sub genre released every year.And the worse thing is, is that the film feels like the middle of a blooming trilogy.A worthless inclusion to a worthless genre, feeding the wannabe criminals pipe dreams of destruction.

Not only did Ricci Harnett write this film, He directed it as well. Ricci plays Carlton Leach in this 2nd parter of a film about how Carlton Leach went through his life and what Carlton Leach was all about. Not only are these guys now part of each others family Ricci plays Carlton very well. A true to life film about what really happened. The story starts off with loads of Action from start to finish He plays a very angry fella in a club that he looks out for and sorts it all out more or less one handed. I can't give too much away as I would not want it spoilt for people who have not seen this. If any DVD sells out within a few days this year it will be this one. Well written, well directed and very well produced. If this does not get a 3rd film I will be surprised. GO OUT AND BUY A COPY AND MAKE SURE IT'S AN OFFICIAL AND NOT A BOOTLEG. KEEP British FILM GOING THIS IS A 100% FANTASTIC FILM 100/100

Watched this last night. Wasn't sure as to how it would be, as sequels can often be something of a disappointment. However, after a wee bit of a slow start, it got going and it focused on Leach's life, post the murder of his friends. It wasn't afraid to show the less glamorous side of crime and that it's not all that it's dressed up to be, by some. Good to see Leach's efforts to reconnect with his family. Good performance from Ricci Harnett and I also wasn't aware that he had lots of input behind the scenes. Obviously something of a labour or love for him.It's also been left open for a third installment. I wouldn't mind seeing that, if it comes to fruition. :)