Review: The Sweeney

Review: The Sweeney

Here come the fuzz...

"We're The Sweeney, shithead - and you're nicked," barks Ray Winstone's Jack Regan in the opening scenes of director Nick Love's revamped adaptation of the popular 1970s TV show.

Well, it's nice to see you too, Mr Winstone. He brings with him "The Sweeney", his team of elite police, all of whom pride themselves on their ability to push the boundaries of the rules. Leaving enough collateral damage in their wake after every arrest to rival that of a small tornado, Jack and the antics of his team attract the attention of superior Internal Affairs officers who want nothing more than to shut the division down. When a heist takes place at a private bank, Regan and his hard-as-nails sidekick George Carter (Ben "Plan B" Drew) suspect an old adversary has returned. As the stakes are raised and innocent lives are lost, Regan and Carter will stop at nothing to catch the "shlags" responsible.

Hyped as "The best British action movie in years", The Sweeney certainly lives up to that - some of the shootouts are incredibly ambitious, in particular an impressive sequence shot from Trafalgar Square to the ins and outs of the National Gallery. Ray Winstone may not be the kickass action star most would expect, but he certainly knows how to dictate a gunfight and his authoritative cockney tones certainly help to ramp up the action as he makes his voice heard between the bullets. He is cast brilliantly as our not so admirable protagonist Jack Regan, nailing the line between hard-man and emotionally puzzled mess as his character attempts to carry out a (slightly unbelievable) affair with a beautiful younger member of his crew (Hayley Atwell) - a member who happens to be married to the Internal Affairs officer investigating the shady methods executed by Regan's team.

As for Ben Drew, a.k.a Plan B, the actor/rapper/singer/director surprises on all fronts. Not only can he handle the action scenes, specifically hand to hand combat, but his character (while possessing a pretty predictable background) is very enjoyable to watch. The back and forth dialogue between Regan and Carter is cockney banter at its best (Guy Ritchie would be proud), and, as much as he claims he "shouldn't be underestimated", Carter is the very efficient Robin to Regan's Batman. This dynamic spices the film up very nicely, particularly during the later stages where Regan's fate is in question.

Unfortunately, however, that's just about all The Sweeney has to offer: a decent pair of perfectly cast leading men and excellent action scenes. The plot? Well, it's hardly the work of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The formula is an entertaining one, but it also gets very predictable very quickly: shoot stuff; car chase; arrest bad guy; converse with superiors; emotional moment; shoot stuff...and so on and so forth. Yet while the action is fantastic for the most part, the film's midway shootout through Trafalgar Square is much more epic than the actual climax, which leaves us feeling a little resentful and unfulfilled.

The running time (just under two hours) drags a little too - there is a significant chunk of the film which could easily have been left on the cutting room floor. More side-character driven plot points like these can be addressed in the sequel - assuming there will be one. Add to that a lack of humour save for one or two lines, and The Sweeney is a thoroughly dark affair. That said, one particular scene which sums up The Sweeney's cockney-and-proud dialogue is where Regan picks up a photograph - an inanimate object - stares at it for a moment and mumbles "You slag." This kind of unintentional humour raises a few laughs throughout the film and keeps us tied into the London atmosphere.

Speaking of which, The Sweeney's modern setting is given a glamarous Hollywood sheen, making London look fantastic. The shootouts in the streets, the chases through the parks and The Sweeney's offices are brilliantly realised, and the fantastic execution of the action scenes ensures that we never miss a beat.

Summary

What The Sweeney lacks in substance it makes up for in style. Despite its predictable plot, its exhausting running time and its whimpering climax, Ray Winstone's latest manages to satisfy both the action fanatics and those looking for a decent crime drama. Ben "Plan B" Drew is a surprise hit, and his back and forth banter with Winstone is thoroughly entertaining, while the typically cockney dialogue raises a few laughs here and there. The action is fantastic, with the highlight of the film involving a brilliantly executed, nailbiting shootout in London's Trafalgar Square.

Some words of advice for the writers of the (probable) sequel, however: just because you can use a caravan park in your finale doesn't necessarily mean you have to. As long as Winstone and Drew return though, The Sweeney will continue to satisfy thanks to their dynamic - with a better plot, a sequel could be so much more entertaining than this game of cops and robbers.

Go and see it now, you toilet.

7/10 - Very Good

See it if you liked: Hot Fuzz (2007), Taken (2008), Sherlock Holmes (2009).