A modern-day remake of the hit TV show from the mid seventies, this British crime flick has lost none of the macho swagger, hard-boiled action and dubious morals that made its source material a fan favourite three and a half decades ago. Following the exploits of the London Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad, colloquially known as the Sweeney, writer-director Nick Love makes up for his predictable plot (which has more holes than a bullet-ridden car) by absolutely nailing the set pieces - the public Heat-esque shoot out in Trafalgar Square is outstanding - and ensuring there's never a long wait until the next loud car chase, stylish gun battle or lashing of the old ultra-violence. Ray Winstone's role as archaic Detective Inspector Jack Regan, whose methods of catching crooks is under heavy scrutiny, is the sort of gruff, don't-give-a-crap part that Winstone has perfected - although here his annoyingly forced upon accent is often hard to bear - whilst Ben Drew, aka Brit rapper Plan B, is charismatic enough to hide the lack of depth given to his second-in-charge Detective Constable George Carter. There's not much substance to this gritty thriller, but with its finely executed action sequences, unrelenting pace and cracking soundtrack, it's a greatly entertaining simple pleasure.

The film has a nice look to it. That blue tint looks good. The actors within are okay but not remarkable. The story is utter nonsense and has no logic behind it. And then there is the action. These coppers are absolute useless. The scenes are comical and the logic is baffling. Every single scene the director allows the crooks to do ridiculous things just so the story can move on. You spend the whole film wondering if they are being serious. As for the A-Team shoot outs...heavily armed men carrying heavy bags outrunning coppers...oh come on. The sound is good, the film looks good but the big fail here is the director. He clearly hasn't got a clue! and don't get me started on the coppers ability to shoot straight. Farcical :(

Not recommended, pity

The dialogue was fine and the acting was fine, but I don't believe that an elite police squad, even London police, can be so incompetent.

Is it realistic that a group of police trained in the use of firearms should not actually be any good in shooting those firearms? The action scenes remind me of the old TV show, "The A-Team", where guns are blazing but no one seems to get hurt. Or, rather, it would, except that the bad guys have apparently been paying attention at the firing range. Surely in a real police organization, people who couldn't shoot straight, whose tactics were amateurish, who had no regard for public safety, and who had difficulty with the idea of calling for backup, should not be allowed out on the streets. More than that, I find it incomprehensible that a training program would be allowed to exist that produced such people as the end result.

As fine as the actors are, this movie does no credit to the UK police service.