Leofwine_draca RISE OF THE FOOTSOLDIER PART II is one of those mindless little British gangster films made on a very low budget indeed. If you've seen the first film in this series, you'll know the story was conclusively tied up at the climax, leaving this a pointless sequel following a peripheral and minor character. What kills this film is the absolutely diabolical script, which is full of endless expletives and no kind of with at all. The main actor seems bored by the whole experience and the plot is a mindless mash up of male testosterone and antagonism in warehouses, strip joints, and nightclubs.

FlashCallahan In the vault of unnecessary sequels, this has to be up there with The Last Exorcism 2, Single White Female 2, and 8mm 2. The film serves nothing more than to be a vanity project for Writer, Director, Caterer, and Star, Harnett.The first Rising of the Footsoldier was pretty solid stuff to be fair, it was the umpteenth telling of those shootings, and why and how they took place. They featured all your favourite bad boys from cockney based soaps, and had more C words in it than the song 'My Coo Coo Ca Choo'. But it was purely filler, and was milking the dregs of a strange phenomena that Ritchie started in late nineties, and Nick Love continued to semi revive in the mid- nineties.........that of the British crime movie, and then merging your cockney wide boy story with added on true events for good measure.And in the last few years, they have been coming out on DVD almost every other week, and almost every one features the word Essex in the title.So this is basically 'what Carlton did next' and if this film is anything to go by, it's that he goes totally paranoid, almost loses everything because although he's getting on in his years, he still wants to be the hardest man on the street.Now, with any other film, you would conclude that the writer is stretching the truth just a little bit, but when you have the real Leach appear in the film for nothing more than to hug his fictional counterpart, you wonder if it's all above board, or whether some people have huge egos.And it's just another atypical, by the numbers gangster movie that has absolutely nothing new to offer. So the film consists of Harnett having a fight, getting paranoid, having a fight, getting paranoid, getting his family paranoid, and so on and so on.None of the characters are likable, the film glamorises idiotic, beer swilling louts who like nothing more than to smash stuff up, treat women like animals, but are the salt of the earth, because they are loyal.You've seen it all before, better and worse, and there now must be at least fifteen to twenty films in this sub genre released every year.And the worse thing is, is that the film feels like the middle of a blooming trilogy.A worthless inclusion to a worthless genre, feeding the wannabe criminals pipe dreams of destruction.

j_f_burn Watched this last night. Wasn't sure as to how it would be, as sequels can often be something of a disappointment. However, after a wee bit of a slow start, it got going and it focused on Leach's life, post the murder of his friends. It wasn't afraid to show the less glamorous side of crime and that it's not all that it's dressed up to be, by some. Good to see Leach's efforts to reconnect with his family. Good performance from Ricci Harnett and I also wasn't aware that he had lots of input behind the scenes. Obviously something of a labour or love for him.It's also been left open for a third installment. I wouldn't mind seeing that, if it comes to fruition. :)

darrenchapman-51581 After reading all carltons books and then watching the first film I've been so interested in the murders and also carltons life.. What ricci has done is amazing.. Don't get me wrong the first film is unreal but that was because there was a lot to tell and a lot of characters to involve etc... This is based on a bloke who lost his best friend and family.. Got bang on the drugs hit a all time low paranoia the lot but came back from it all with help from his mates... Alright he ain't a saint but he's lived a fascinating life and especially looking at it from the outside its unreal to think what goes on in the underworld... His story makes a great book and fantastic film... Hope there's a 3rd!! Must see if your into crime.. Actors are brilliant such a deep film loved it well done too all involved!!