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Having never lived in England, I never got to see the television show that inspired this movie, so I can't comment on how faithful this adaptation is to the source material. I will say, however, that there were a few points in the movie when the movie seemed to assume you knew the source material, since these points were vague and not really explained. But before I go on listing this movie's faults, I will mention what I thought was positive about it. The movie looks very good for a budget that was reportedly only around three million pounds. There are a couple of good action sequences. Also, the acting by everyone is pretty good. However, the actors are a bit *too* good at their job, because no character in the movie is likable. The main problem, however, is with the script. The script has the one-two punch of the story not only moving quite slowly, but being extremely familiar, especially if you have seen as many direct-to-DVD movies as I've seen. The movie could have been much worse, but that's no excuse to track down and watch it.

My my. You could tell this was directed by a mate of Danny Dyer's. The film itself was so far removed from anything that would happen in the real world it was laughable.

Ray Winstone as Regan was basically Ray Winstone i.e. he went around calling people horrible names and punching or nutting them. The plot was paper thin and there were many examples of "how could they be so thick??!!" coming from my sofa.

Decision making by the characters was just plain ridiculous and then there were the continuity errors and/or just generally stupid mistakes. Regan is on the way to a bank robbery; it is the morning and the bank is open. Somehow he is able to drive along the Embankment in London at 60+mph and there is NO traffic. And of course people hid behind cars & furniture during shoot-outs and naturally were completely unharmed.

The only good things in it were Ben Drew (playing himself as usual) and Hayley Atwell (although she should have known better than to take this part). Even Damian Lewis obviously just needed to pay the Gas Bill, as he was utterly anonymous as Haskins.

Please avoid this utter piece of total horse manure. Watch an episode or two of the original TV series with Thaw & Waterman on ITV4. It will be a far better way to spend 2 hours.

The dialogue was fine and the acting was fine, but I don't believe that an elite police squad, even London police, can be so incompetent.

Is it realistic that a group of police trained in the use of firearms should not actually be any good in shooting those firearms? The action scenes remind me of the old TV show, "The A-Team", where guns are blazing but no one seems to get hurt. Or, rather, it would, except that the bad guys have apparently been paying attention at the firing range. Surely in a real police organization, people who couldn't shoot straight, whose tactics were amateurish, who had no regard for public safety, and who had difficulty with the idea of calling for backup, should not be allowed out on the streets. More than that, I find it incomprehensible that a training program would be allowed to exist that produced such people as the end result.

As fine as the actors are, this movie does no credit to the UK police service.

Another shameless example of cashing in on middle aged people like me wanting to be reminded of the "good ole days", and then this time adding a current pop star to draw the youngsters as well.

Sadly, for all it's style and glam etc, it misses the cold hard mark of the original. Winstone is no longer "hard", especially not when they dress him in trendy gear - he just looks like a mid life crisis bloke (better in a Crombie). Admire his ability to laugh at his ever expanding gut, but he doesn't carry off the tough guy anymore.

Plan B is also laughable - although I recognise that he is obviously trying, but it's not enough. And Damien Lewis is just a caricature that is miscast.

Plus it is too long. I was almost asleep by the "climax".

They do try to introduce humour, but with one notable exception (face in window) it just doesn't work.

And if the shooting accuracy of coppers and ex paras is reflective of real life, then the crims and Afghans have got it made - this lot couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo. And love 2 examples of a goodguy taking cover behind something made of wood, which then gets shot exactly where he is standing, and he's not hit(??????). Remarkable wood these days.

Would love to give this good ratings, was hoping to.. But.

Opening scene was beyond stupid. The bit in the middle was daft as hell.

And the less said about the ending the better.

Great acting, just very poor script and the director should go back to film school.. (does a director not have any control??)

Note to writer/director.. Never give that kind of daft opening if you want to be taken seriously..

Or daft ending..

Or daft middle bit...