Despite flopping in cinemas, 2007’s odious and shoddily made crime saga Rise of the Footsoldier became a surprise hit on DVD, leading to this inevitable, yet entirely unnecessary, sequel. Like its predecessor, there’s a queasy feeling of hero worship about it all, as real-life violent criminals are held up as figures of respect and, bizarrely, sympathy. The plot follows football hooligan turned gangland bruiser Carlton Leach, played again by Ricci Harnett who also writes and directs, as he tries to regain a foothold in a grotty underworld of thugs and drugs. It’s a largely forgettable slog littered with tired cliches and ropey performances, seemingly aimed at an audience made up of drunken stag parties. Arriving soon after this year’s stylish and well-staged Hyena, which showed that there’s life in the cockney yob genre yet, this is dead on arrival.
