Everyone likes to watch a film where they don’t have to think once in a while. A simple action flick or rom-com that occupies your mind for long enough to forget about that important thing that you desperately need to do, but are putting off. Although, whilst watching such cinema, you would hope there was a point to what you are witnessing.
Sadly, for Rise of the Footsoldier 3, (yes, you did hear me correctly – the third one!) this seems to completely miss the mark and become wrapped up in drugs, prostitutes and thinking it is acceptable to act like an utter fool for your entire life. Directed by Zackary Alder; the man who gave us The Rise of the Krays and The Fall of the Krays it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know exactly where this one is going. Subtitled The Pat Tate Story, this prequel gets straight stuck in to the notorious gangster’s rise in the criminal underworld of Essex.
If memory serves us best, Pat isn’t one for pleasantries but arguably gets the job done – not to say that brutally vicious violence is the way to get what you want, but it seems to work for Pat and his crew. Craig Fairbrass is back, channeling an immense amount of aggression as Tate, alongside reappearing characters Tony Tucker (Terry Stone) and Roland Manookian as Craig Rolfe, who will never escape the title of Zeberdee in Nick Loves Football Factory – except the long hair here really doesn’t do the man justice. Jamie Foreman holds his own here as the hardcore, yet level headed Sam providing a familiar TV drama face and just might be the only person who can remotely act.
The best thing about this is the film’s soundtrack. 80’s nostalgia floods your ears easing the somewhat eye-averting beatings some characters have to endure and the beyond hideously acted conversations. Repetitive profanities and violence become eye-rollingly laborious almost instantly. Flashbacks desperately try to create some semblance of a plot, but there really isn’t all that much going on, despite using material from the last two previous films. With a few laughs at some well-crafted script lines that are buried deep in blood induced fists, The Rise of the Footsoldier isn’t anything to write home about. Above all else, this quickly becomes a drab production where 90% of the cast seem to be competing against each other in a competition of who can swear the most instead of using actual words – perhaps the prize was some acting lessons, who knows?
Someone, somewhere will find something meaningful hiding beneath the copious clouds of coke sniffed from start to finish here. Yet, even if you are a fan of films of this ilk, you may even have a rough time gelling with this one.
Rise of the Footsoldier 3 hits theatres (quite literally) on Friday November 3rd!
After LaLa Land, a nice, but unchallenging role, Ryan Gosling reminds us of what a stellar actor he is. Surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, Robyn Wright, Dave Bautista and Sylvia Hoeks are only some of the delightful turns. Harrison Ford perfectly embodies an aged, grizzly and cynical Deckard, and frankly, what more could be asked for. Well, actually, more developed parts for people of colour, pretty please.