Rise of the Footsoldier: Part II

Two hours of my life I will never get back rubbish

Not a movie as such more a collection of stories that happened to Carlton after the Rettendon murders.

There is not a plot to speak of as such but every ten minutes or so, a new scrape, a a new business venture, a new fight takes place to keep things bubbling along quite nicely.

Unfortunately, with this, it just isn't good enough. It does keep you vaguely engaged, but, not enthralled.

The lead actor is a little 'one paced' and limited. And compared to the real Carleton Leach, who appears as a cameo at the end of the movie, looks tiny and carries little or no menace. Instead coming across in the movie as an angry little man. All snarl and no bite.

"Rise of the Footsoldier Part II" is a classic case of sequel-itis. It's more of the same: British gangsters shouting the f- and c-words every time they open their mouths, and random on screen sex and violence, though nothing memorable like the first movie's Chelsea grin scene, or even that movie's sex scene.

What's missing is any kind of sense of purpose. The first movie told the story of Carlton Leach's rise from his time as a football hooligan to a proper career criminal. What does this one tell? That he's now got kids, and his wife's sick of his criminal ways? And more miscellaneous criminal goings on?

It's all totally pointless, and a complete waste of time.

I like that they focus the story on Leach, he's the character I was first drawn to, however they take his arc in an unfortunate direction.

Gone is the larrikin turned gangster, Leach has become something else much darker and the film suffers for it.

Disjointed, no story poorly put together cliche fest.

Literally no reason for it to exist just trying to squeeze an extra few quid out of the franchise which was already flagging.