Those kindly gentlemen from the Flying Squad, are back on the big screen, with a new interpretation. Long gone are the flares and scowls of John Thaw and Dennis Waterman. Instead we are right bang up to date with probably the toughest actor on screen, namely Ray Winstone, and a young man who is really maiking a name for himself cinematically, and he is Ben Drew.
A robbery in a Jewellers goes wrong, and an innocent shopper is shot and killed. The team are determined to bring to justice those behind the killing. Regan is convinced that his regular Crime Boss, 'Allen' is behind the job.
They arrest and question him, but in the end they have to let him go due to a lack of evidence. Their attention soon moves to an Eastern European criminal. But could it be that the two are working together?
Pressure however is being applied to the Flying Squad from those up above, due to the methods that they sometimes operate to when catching criminals. The costs of their operations are escalating, and it is being noticed. It probably does not help matters that 'Lewis' who is investigating the Flying Squad, his wife is sleeping with 'Regan', so not the best of situations.
Will they get their man or men even?
The film is ok, the main thought that went through my mind was that Cinema did not seem to be the ideal medium for this film. It could have easily been done as a television series, like the original, and probably would have been better suited.
There are indeed some excellent set pieces, most notably the shoot out in Trafalgar Square.
I can't quite put my finger on what was wrong with the film, there probably is not that much wrong, its just that film was average. Nothing to make it stand out. Damian Lewis who is riding high after the smash success of "Homeland" is woefully underused, blink at times and you miss him.
After his directing debut hit with "Ill Manors" the one saving grace in the film is Ben Drew who gives a decent performance as 'Carter', making the character believable and you really take to him.
Good but maybe a smaller screen would have been better......6 out of 10
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