Review of The Sweeney (2012) by Emma T — 16 Oct 2012

A film with an identity crisis. What sort of police force in 2012 would have a fire fight, complete with automatic weapons in the middle of Trafalgar Square and the surrounding area where the general public are getting gunned down in the cross-fire??? Did they think, oh we're the Sweeney, we can do anything coz that's what they did in the 70s. This film went out of its way to show us that this was today with its gleaming offices, Apple computers and shiny Ford Focus. Then it drops a couple of thugs in it who think it's Life On Mars.

The Sweeney was of its time, for good and bad, here its out of its time. It doesn't wash that these people go around shooting and punching blue collar criminals then go back to a pristine, shiny glass, dust free, clutter free Canary Wharf office to type on their Apple Macs. Besides, most the the squad look like they've never even fought their way out of a paper bag. Not exactly battle hardened as the pace of the action suggests they should be.

Tactics and positioning were non-existent as Winstone compromised his team time after time, seems that the best way to get around that was to ditch the supporting cast half-way through the film and turn it into a buddy movie. Even a bit of indulgence with Winstone in jail, just dying to crow out 'where's ya tool?'. I think the producers were patronising their audience here.