Le mauvais camp 2

As "Ferry 2" (2024 release from the Netherlands, Ferry, now living in Costa Del Sol as "Andre", gets contacted by his niece (the daughter of Ferry's sister), who is in trouble for a drug deal gone bad. Reluctantly Ferry comes back to Holland... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: you may recall that the character of "Ferry" was part of the Flemish TV series "Undercover" (3 seasons over 2019-2022). In fact, "Ferry" became so popular that he got a prequel movie out of it called "Ferry (2021), and then his own mini-series called, wait for it: "Ferry The Series" (2022). It was all OK, and a fair amount of people enjoyed it (including myself). Two more years later comes yet another movie starring Ferry (Dutch actor Frank Lammers), and the question is... why? There is nothing new under the sun, the XTC story line(s) are rehashed yet once again. And there are no surprises of any kind, none. In the end, this is like the most predictable of comfort foods: you kinda enjoy it while you are watching it, but it all feels rather empty-handed at the end of it. Listen, Ferry had a good run, but this latest sequel really wasn't needed.

"Ferry 2" (I guess the film makers were so empty of new ideas, they really couldn't even come up with a snappier title than this?) is now streaking on Netflix. If you are a fan of the original "Undercover" TV series, or of the "Ferry" character in particular, I'd suggest you check this out, with lowered expectations, and draw your own conclusion.

A sequel we probably didn't need but somehow got anyway. Ferry Bouman, the charismatic anti-hero who muscled his way out of the Undercover series and into his own spin-off, is back to grace us with another jaunt through Belgium's underworld. The man who stole the spotlight from the painfully dull policeman "Bob", proving once and for all that crime does, in fact, pay - until it doesn't. We watched Ferry's rise and inevitable fall, losing everything, including his so-called "kingdom." And by "kingdom," I mean a scrappy camping ground with his equally scrappy wife Danielle. But credit where it's due - Frank Lammers lends Ferry a tragic, almost Shakespearean credibility, even when surrounded by beer cans and bad decisions.

This time around, our likeable loser has retired to sunny Spain, the go-to destination for washed-up European criminals to live once more in the unglamourous confines of a caravan, until it gets trashed by his niece Jezebel. (And no, I didn't make that name up - apparently, the Dutch did.) Jezebel, who is technically the daughter of Ferry's late niece drags her boyfriend along for the ride and demands Uncle Ferry's help with a little "business issue." Just your everyday problem of delivering ecstasy pills to a psychopathic drug dealer. Because nothing says "family bonding" like a high-stakes drug deal.

In today's cinematic era of girl bosses, Jezebel is barely tolerable, being believable as white trash and moderately annoying. But the plot plays out like a greatest hits compilation of crime thriller clichés. The order for pills is miraculously ready (of course), only to be derailed by predictable backstabbing and double-crossing. And just for kicks, there's the looming family secret: Jezebel doesn't know what happened between Ferry and her father, which is sure to rear its melodramatic head at the worst possible moment.

Is Ferry 2 as bad as some reviewers here claimed? Not quite. Lammers brings his A-game, portraying Ferry as a broken, sardonic has-been who still manages to be oddly sympathetic. The bleak Flemish landscape adds its usual dose of gloom and general despair. It's not brilliant cinema, but it's not a total trainwreck either. It's a dark, messy, slightly depressing crime movie that coasts on Lammers' charm and Ferry's razor-thin likability. Not great, but at least it's better than camping with Bob.

PS and if they plan to make yet another spin-off with Jez as main character I'll definitely bail out.

I enjoyed the series and the first movie. I started watching this and knew within 7 minutes that this was going to be a disappointment. Boy I was not wrong.

1. Niece-having a niece fine. Having someone around that only serves as plot armor in providing stupidity to keep the story going...not good. Remember the Las Vegas zombie movie where Dave Bautisa daughter got everyone killed? Yes, this niece is the same and for some stupid reason she is a primary focus.

2. Random characters, no consistent plotline, dumb Hallmark moments that does nothing to propel the story and horrendous score/music being played during all action scenes tells you about everything you need to know.

Obviously you go in to see Ferry Bouman yet this time around it is actor Jonas Smulders that carries the movie. Where the first film was a great movie, Ferry 2 falls somewhat short. The story isn't the most interesting but manages to be entertaining enough. Bouman feels a bit old in the film, his main rival however does a wonderful job. The characters in general besides Bouman and the rival feel somewhat empty, they could have done more to make the viewer connect with them. It's a pitty really as again the first movie had it all. Then it does leave some space open for a third, which if being made we would all surely hope would do a better job than Ferry 2.

Ferry 1 and the series around this character, actually are really fun to watch. This movie is like a scenario written by one 10 year old guy who saw the the other. Pointless scenario with many blanks and nothing good to see.

Frank Lammers in my opinion suits for this role and I don't think he could do something more for this movie.

Sometimes, some Netflix's films seem to be made only to see a female protagonist instead of a male. You could do so many clever things to this movie but the only thing they did is to show us how "stubborn" and "capable" his niece was. They didn't even make us really understand what was going with her life. They just added a co protagonist who was selfish, dumb and impulsive and she had nothing to like her as a character. To sum up, Ferry deserved a better ending.

There are films that are good or bad, but this is a film that I wish I hadn't seen.