Brotherhood

Didn't feel like this film was needed, still enjoyable but could take it or leave.

I was a big fan of Noel Clarke, he was a one man dynamo often writing, starring and directing his own movies. He refused to bow down to his detractors.

Then his career went haywire as reports surfaced of his behaviour in later years. It might not have been illegal but it was certainly unethical. Unfortunately Clarke cannot seem to understand what wrong he has done.

Something went awry in the final part of his trilogy, Brotherhood. Instead of being a gritty urban streetwise thriller like his previous two films, it feels more like a joke.

Sam Peel (Noel Clarke) has done time for killing. He his now living a quiet life with a mundane job with his girlfriend Kayla (Shanika Warren-Markland) and two children.

Things take a sinister turn as Sam is dragged back to a life he thought he left behind. His younger brother Royston (Daniel Anthony) is shot while performing in a show. Sam himself has been given a come on by a pretty East European lady.

Pretty soon Sam and his family are being threatened by flash crook Daley (Jason Maza) and his crew but Sam has never done anything to upset him. It turns out that an old enemy is pulling the strings, Uncle Curtis (Cornell John) whose nephew Sam killed and who wants to destroy Sam's life.

The story just did not walk, it really was a badly written film. If Uncle Curtis wanted Sam dead, he should had just killed him, not drag Sam's brother and mother into a stupid cat and mouse game.

Still Clarke pulls a nice trick of attracting his fans from Doctor Who. Included in the cast are actors that have appeared in Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Class.

Well...I'm disappointed but I still shed light tears at the last scene before the epilogue, and if you're a fan of the first two prequels, you might see why I did. It's the same tears you cry when your kid walks across the stage, or when you finish a video game, or on the last day of summer camp before you get on the bus back home. Just that sad sense that's it's over, after everything. I also feel disappointed that it's nothing like the 1st two.

(Oh, the film is about a guy all grown up trying to protect his family because he's still in danger with Grim Reapers following him around to avenge something he did in KiDULTHOOD. Watch it instead!)

Now first of all, this is so unrealistic, as you know. No one in their right mind would remain in the same borough when he's had people all over it try to kill him...It's such a short sighted film, I don't even have space to tell you about it!

It really hit how different things are this generation during the ending credits; the song that played was a popular British rapper...but nothing is British about it except his voice. The beat and how he raps compared to the ending credits in AdULTHOOD...I don't get the sense that I'm in London. It set sail on this ship away, far away, from the first two films, and then jumped ship, and then sank. If you're new to British films and want a good look at London life on the other side of Hugh Grant's and the queen's tracks, don't look at this film. Look at KiDULTHOOD.

KiDULTHOOD is a f*cking classic as far as British cinema, and I feel let down with this, and I feel I won't enjoy it as much anymore. It's all Noel's fault. All of his films get WORSE AND WORSE AS TIME GOES ON. I want someone to walk up to him and slap him with facts and reality. YOUR FILMS ARE SH*T, BRUV. Someone say it to him! He's losing it each time. He's trying harder and harder EACH TIME to impress his peers, whilst still thinking he can through bottom feeding.

This film is mediocre at best. The script? Lmao, Noel Clarke already struggled enough trying to make his characters sound hard but he's much better at that than trying to make them sound prophetic. The monologues of wisdom sprouting during scenes where in reality there would be no talking, like having a gun held to your face, were paradoxical at best. And oh yea, who died and made the little Polly Pocket road girl/female hoodlum Prophet Moses? It just didn't work because no girl in that actual position and lifestyle would even know the word "colloquial" nor be able to speak, much less sermonise. It just didn't fit, though I know Noel Clarke is trying to justify this vapid and kinda boring mess by preaching to the youth...because the youth are the main people in the audience. Which one of them didn't go bonkers when they saw rapper Stormzy in the ads?

Stormzy was all right. His role is nothing like his rap persona, though (and that's all right unless it undermines his persona instead of building an...acting career...?) He clearly was a fan of the 1st two films like many other 90s kids like he and myself, and so he wanted to be apart of this so I hope he likes it. And hopefully his character in the film walking away from the "thug life" (not that easy to) works for the "mandem and youngers" watching this to do the same, because otherwise it's just point- scoring for the critics, who probably half fell asleep leaning on their hands like, "what's this film for again?" And then, voila: words of wisdom suddenly stream through like a blimp ad in the sky, salvaging the film however they could.

I feel Noel Clarke abandoned the grit, the underground London life (in a film about gritty, underground London life?) because he's too COWARDLY to bring a film to the table honestly showing it. He's too SCARED to have a film with ACTUAL "roadman" London slang, he's AFRAID of what his industry mates will say. Granted, KiDULTHOOD was 10 years ago. And my have things changed based on this film, and I think Mr. Noel here wants to show he TOO has changed. The film is about SAM'S changes. Not NOEL'S. Even Stormzy's new song says "You're never too big for your boots."

One of the main things that even brought KiDULTHOOD to the forefront of British cinema (it did, and it made Noel Clarke's career), was the SLANG. The Grime music. The murky settings. The youths. KiDULTHOOD had real London life and music constantly in the backdrops. This...had nothing. I understand the enemies and stakes are on a higher level, so now there's a certain, errr...air of class and quality *gag* But the grime of the life that this film claims to be about was incredibly washed up and out?! Starting with the Rent-A-Roadmen. Who were the Drama School dropouts this film rented?

I'm so annoyed, I wish I even never knew there was a 3rd one. I can't even remember much of the film and it just finished 5 minutes ago. Yes...it's already happening...I'm already forgetting it!

OK Noel, try again with good movies about London, like KiDULTHOOD, AdULTHOOD (kind of), London to Brighton, Ill Manors... Someone slid a printout of a good idea at Noel Clarke and he balled it up in his hands and threw it over his shoulder like a used nappy/diaper. Done. *deletes movie off my computer*

This film took the trilogy from Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing" to Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes to Jail." Now I wonder why Adam Deacon trolled Noel on Twitter....

Unfortunately the grit of the original two movies is well lost in this episode. The main two gangsters/bad men are completely unbelievable characters. One is like a runty cousin of Danny dyer (some Essex warrior who couldn't scare a granny), and the other 'hugs' comes across as a mincing Turkish footballer, who's acting is very wooden. The acting in general (apart from Noel's) is farcical, along with the Americanised story line , which takes things too far from potential reality. Even Curtis, who was pretty demonic in the second film comes across as a theatrical comedy villain. If you are going to attempt to cast in high level gangsters who run large grossing international business's, then please, make the characters believable. Some orange Essex boy in top shop garms just doesn't cut it. The great thing about the first two films was that they were believable to a certain extent, with the plots mirroring how life can be for large swathes of society in urban environments. For some reason Clarke took this one way beyond those parameters, and failed miserably. If parenthood is to happen as the 4th and final part, then please take it back to the original flavour. There is so much good new music and Yoot's (genuine rude boys who hang with well known grime artists) to ensure Clarke could create a realistic and believable film. Unfortunately, this film waters down the first two and comes across as a way to milk the good will built up.

Noel Clarke brings us the third and final instalment of his self written London street Drama spanning over ten years with KiDULTHOOD released back in 2006, followed by AdULTHOOD in 2008. I have always considered these films the British answer to Boyz N The Hood and Menace II Society addressing the tragedies of London's youthful generation. 

I'm a fan of these films by default, purely to having my own fair share of drama with gang fights, drug raids and hospital visits, though don't get me wrong, I'm a good boy I assure you, I was known as 'the sensible one'; it's just my perfect circle of friends have allowed me to witness a life that some people will only see in films like these; I'm more like the Henry's and Ricky's of the street world.

During my troublesome teens back in the nineties, I wanted to make films myself and this was the subject matter of a lot of my stories with friends still urging me to write a book, so naturally when KiDULTHOOD was released I was both annoyed yet inspired by Clarke beating me to it, it's a story I can certainly relate to. 

If you haven't seen the previous films, it does help to fully understand who's who though it's not essential. As a brief recap, Sam (Noel Clarke) murders a fellow street hood Trife, serves time and upon release is truly sorry for what has happened, though the past is rarely forgivable and revenge is always lurking around the corner. No matter how much Sam tries to turn his life around, there's always someone haunting him. 

The deceased Trife's Uncle Curtis, played by Cornell John (he's the sensei in the latest advert for McDonald's chicken sandwiches!) is released from prison and returns to conclude unfinished business with Sam, enlisting the help of some new ruthless faces to make life difficult for Sam and taking things to the extreme. 

There's some powerful portrayals in this movie, especially liking Leeshon Alexander's character HUGS who looks like the love child of Clive Owen and Tom Hardy; and Shanika Warren- Markland's Kayla who from the previous and Clarke's 4.3.2.1. However wasn't so keen on David Ajala's Det. Des or Jason Maza's crime boss Daley. 

It's hard-hitting and probably the most emotional of the trilogy whilst still having it's comical elements, mostly provided by a grown-up Henry. (Arnold Oceng) Obviously, revenge is the main topic but there's a great sense of justice and loyalty portrayed here, especially the scene with Hassan (Chris Ryman) in the kebab shop.

Tom Linden does quite a haunting score, such a nice touch having the ambient hum intensifying dramatic scenes, reminded me of Michael Mann's Heat and of course, the soundtrack that accompanies the film is superb incorporating British rap, hip hop and grime from artists like Stormzy, Asher D, Chip and Lethal Bizzle. It's the perfect soundtrack to represent street life of London and in combination with the locations, it's gives the city the dynamic look it deserves. 

It's obvious Clarke isn't fan of Michael Bay however, he does something Bay is notoriously disliked for, unnecessary nudity, like, lots of it and full frontals. Whilst pleasing to the eye it isn't essential to the film at all and feels like a push to give the film an 18/R certificate. 

Regardless of It's low points it's a perfect conclusion to the trilogy so fans of the previous films should enjoy this as I did. Clarke is a great testament for London film making. Maybe we could fast-forward a few years into PaRENTHOOD being about reputation and struggling to keep your kids from the same fate. 

"R U dizzy blud?" 

Running Time: 7 The Cast: 7 Performance: 7 Direction: 9 Story: 7 Script: 7 Creativity: 9 Soundtrack: 9 Job Description: 8 The Extra Bonus Point: 10 for being a blinding finish to the trilogy innit. Result.

80% 8/10