User reviews

Thaw and Waterman return to their famous roles in this theatrical sequel. This time Detectives Regan and Carter are tracking a group of bank robbers who always nab £100,000 and leave any amount over that in the getaway car. Regan is able to crack the case thanks to his Flying Squad team and some help from his corrupt, imprisoned former Chief (Denholm Elliott). This is a lot darker that SWEENEY! but still features some humor (mostly with Regan spouting off on hapless underlings). Like the first film, there are some shockingly violent set pieces. The only odd bit is a 15-minute detour where the boys go to a hotel to disarm a bomb. It is completely pointless, appears midway through, and reeks of something shot afterward to pad out the film's running time.

When British cinema of the 70s is discussed, "Sweeney 2" rarely gets a mention. Yet it illustrates the changing times as vividly as many better-known films. The blazing action of "Sweeney!" is replaced by a thoughtful film that, although more low-key, is perhaps a more accurate reflection of the television series.

Regan and Carter are on the trail of a gang of bank-robbers who, from their idyllic base on Malta, occasionally return to Britain (a country they believe to be "finished") to carry out violent and well-planned raids. The men lead a luxurious communal lifestyle with their wives and children yet it is one financed by thrusting sawn-off shotguns into the faces of terrified bank cashiers and taking hostages (one of whom, a young woman, is killed in the raid that opens the film). They seem to symbolise the souring of the 60s dream.

Other details are equally telling. A young schoolteacher tells George Carter that she "doesn't like policemen". No longer does the force command widespread public respect. Regan's boss (the excellent Denholm Elliott) is facing imprisonment on corruption charges, reflecting the corruption trials that so stained the image of the Metropolitan Police in the 70s.

On their abortive trip to Malta to try to interview the men, Regan and Carter are plainly jealous and angry when they witness the lifestyle of their targets - a far cry from their grimy world of bacon sandwiches from burger vans and knees-ups down the local. But by the end of "Sweeney 2" and a year before Margaret Thatcher won power in Britain, it is the defiantly working-class coppers who have the last laugh, joined by their girlfriends for a boozy celebration - while the wives of the bank robbers prove less reliable.

Euston Films had a track record of producing high-quality television and (in this case) film. "Sweeney 2" fully confirms this. There are good supporting performances from Nigel Hawthorne, Lewis Fiander and Derrick O'Connor plus an exciting score by Tony Hatch. The action scenes, although lesser in number than in the first film, are superbly handled by one of the TV show's action specialists, director Tom Clegg.

Recommended.

In my review of the television series I mentioned that THE SWEENEY has its episodes split between " comedy " episodes and " violent " episodes and after seeing the two film versions of the show this theory certainly holds up . The first SWEENEY film was a gritty political thriller with a high body count while the second film features a lot of humerous moments like the big John appeal box , " Remember- rubber is recyclable " , " When I said you couldn`t organise a p*ss up at a brewary George I was wrong " and there`s a running gag involving driver Robert Soames . That`s not to say that this film should be classed as a black comedy , just that it contains darkly comic moments like the original series did .

As has been noted the plot which involves a quasi fascist bunch of bank robbers could have easily have been made as a one hour episode ( And the film seems to have the budget of a one hour television episode ) but at least - Unlike the film versions of LOST IN SPACE and MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - this film resembles the television show it`s based upon

I did enjoy the first film, but as an avid fan of the show I will say the show is better than both movies put together. There are many problems with Sweeney 2, but the cast, good moments of dialogue and decent direction do make it watchable. Personally I don't think it is as bad as people think it is, but it does have major problems and definitely inferior to the show and the first film. The first problem is that the film is dated, the location shooting is nice but the photography is not as skillful or as evocative and the picture quality is very grainy. Secondly, the plot is very muddled and disjointed and it does feel like an extended episode from the show, and does have issues of pacing, when it drags, it not only drags badly but really badly. I loved the concept, but there is a lot of time in the middle half when there are a lot of pointless and dragged out scenes. Thirdly, the violence, the show and first film do have a lot of violence but the violence here is quite extreme, I do remember the first time I saw this there was a death towards the end that I was really disturbed by. However, what makes the film watchable is some amusing dialogue, not a surprise really as one of the main reasons why I love the show and liked the first film was that the dialogue was quotable and iconic, the superb music and the performances and chemistry of John Thaw and Dennis Waterman, who are solid as rocks in their roles as Regan and Carter. The supporting performances are also pretty good, but Thaw and Waterman are definitely the best of the lot. The direction is also pretty decent, perhaps not as efficient as it could have been but it was solid enough. Overall, disappointing, but it wasn't bad. 6/10 Bethany Cox

I watched the first Sweeney film the other day,reviewed here.

The first film was not great but is better than this one.

No plot spoilers but the plot is daft and the films has several scenes which seem out of place.

I am old enough to have seen all these 1970s so called classics when they were new.

I will upset the Daily Mail readers and Jeremy Clarkson fans by saying that The Professionals was a much better programme than The Sweeney and both programmes were more PC than they will admit.

The Sweeney was a less intelligent more action filled development of Special Branch.

This film is an interesting watch,I wonder was anybody actually in charge of making it make sense,there are 2 sub plots that are just included to fill time.

Some well known faces in this and London full of forgotten cars and shop signs.

Not nearly as good as the first 'Sweeney' film and a shade below the original T.V series. I'm half Maltese, so I love the locations and scenes in Malta. A fab score by Tony Hatch and the most memorable car stunt of all time, with a Ford Cortina, smashing out of a 1st storey window. Was the first movie I saw at the cinema with a cinema certificate of AA.

A slightly rougher and (in the last 15 minutes or so) more violent & gory spin-off from the TV series but with no DCI Haskins. Instead we suddenly have some bloke who looks like Sir Humphrey off `Yes Minister' playing Regan's & Carter's boss. The plot is a bit disjointed in places. Basically it's about a gang of `armed blaggers' toting gold sawn-offs and alarming '70s hairdos who jet in from Malta every so often to turn over some London bank. But then halfway through, the focus suddenly switches to some French-speaking `geezer' from Beirut in a hotel disarming a bomb in his room. He has absolutely nothing to do with the armed blaggers, but we stay with him for a good 20 minutes as George Carter dresses up as room service, takes him a large Scotch and ends up helping him disarm the bomb while all the other coppers have an impromptu booze-up downstairs in the hotel bar. No explanation as to who he is, where the bomb came from and what he's doing there, except for later on when Regan tells Carter `by the way' that `the geezer with the bomb' was with the CIA. And that's it!!! We're left to fill in the many blanks ourselves as the plot goes back to the expat blaggers living it up on Malta and planning their next `job'. We learn that they steal the exact equivalent of $100,000 in every raid - no more and no less. But again, absolutely no explanation is given as to the rationale behind this. Then there's Denholm Elliot's crooked Detective Superintendent who gets `sent down' for corruption. Early on we're told that he was Regan's ex-boss and that the two had been working closely for years, but I don't recall ever seeing or even hearing of the character in the TV series (although I can't claim to have seen every episode and it's been some years since I saw the programme so maybe I've missed something). Like its parent TV series and similar shows of the era (such as `The Professionals'), Sweeney 2 sticks two fingers firmly up at the PC brigade, and that's still very refreshing to see in this day and age, when programme-makers seem to be obsessed with tokenism, `inclusiveness' and not `offending' anyone. Despite its shortcomings and plot vagaries, this is an enjoyable movie for those with fond memories of a golden age in British television and '70s nostalgics in general. A bit of a mixed bag to be sure, but worth a look.

Wonderful example of a great British series John Thaw was a fine actor who always brought truth and a high emotional content to the screen,Dennis Waterman is well Dennis Waterman but a capable enough actor to play the sidekick.The film itself is of course a child of its time yes the wallpaper/clothes/cars are all horribly dated as are the simple "moral" attitude's towards women :smoking:drinking etc,but lets remember the "hard men" around in those days were just that "hard men" and they existed on both sides of the fence.Its also got to be remembered that this was a spin off film and that the budget was never going to be high and frankly it did not need to be high as this story does not demand it,perhaps the film does "sag" a little in places and the Malta shoot added very little to the plot,the body count/violence is pushed up but then I guess thats what producers/film makers thought that freed of the shackle's of television you had to go down this path.What the film does have going for it are good to excellent actors who knew there stuff, writers in the shape of the kennedy Martins who also knew how to pitch/sell the police plots in a " tight" structure manner,and the capturing of a time and place IE 70s London which no longer exist.So overlook the pacing the plot holes and the 70s morality and enjoy the snappy patter kipper ties(now you know you had one when you younger) and the Ford motors but above all John Thaw who was one of the uks finest actors in any medium or in Regans way' get your trousers on Tinkerbell your nicked

The second and final Sweeney movie has eventually been released in high definition and it was worth the wait. As someone who has only recently watched all of The Sweeney TV serious it was a surprise to hear that they released a number of movies.

The first film was very good if obviously a bit more bloody than the TV series. The question is whether the second lives up to the first?

The story? Well its a Sweeney story so it obviously involves bank robbers. The twist here is that this time its robbers who live abroad and come back to rob in London. So that is where Sexy Beast nicked their story from.

In this film there is a bit more sex and swearing including a few F bombs dropped which is surprising to say the least. The story however isn't as tight this time around, it takes longer to get going and there are a few sub plot parts which don't really add to the story, they feel like padding. If you are a Sweeney fan then its right up your street, the only other downside is that they seem to be guilty of recycling actors from the series which is a bit strange when you are expected to forget they played other characters in the Sweeney Universe. The finale in this one however is much better than the first film, which seemed to end on a weird scene. There is also something else a bit odd with both movies and that is the relationship between the two main characters, Regan is definitely Regan but George doesn't really behave the same way as he does in the series?

If you like the TV Sweeney you will love the Cinema Sweeney. These are great stand alone films regardless of whether you have seen the series, but I can see someone who hasn't seen the series binging on them after catching up with the movies. While Life On Mars was decent, this is better and the real reason LOM was popular in the first place.

This film from the outset feels like something someone has written whilst high as a kite. The attraction of the Sweeney series is the pace of the plot, the running gags and sarcastic humour all the way through the film. This is a bit like watching John Thaw playing a different part whilst still called Regan. It almost plays like a book. The 'plot' or what there is of it, is split into several mini parts. Some of them have no resemblance whatsoever to the main crime being commited during the film. A gang of criminals goes round London pulling 'blags' on several large Metropolitan banks. They only take the equivalent of $100,000 from each one and leave the rest in the getaway cars. Weirdly, and although much is made of this during the film, itis never actually explained why this figure is required. It is one very strange film where you feel like time is moving very slowly and you are almost watching the events unfold in real time. The film lasts almost 2 hours but in truth could probably have been done properly in 1 hour comfortably. If you are a fan of the original series and are expecting the same you are in for disappointment. Its not the series and its not half as amusing.

I will go with the majority opinion here. Sweeney 2 definitely beats Sweeney as the best film spin-off. No silly conspiracy stories, just good old fashioned blaggers and Regan and Carter doing what they do best. Not to say that Sweeney was a bad film, just it was too far removed from the series.

The story pits our favourite coppers against a gang of ex-pat blaggers who travel back to England from Malta every time they need more funds. As a highly professional, ruthless group, they are not easy to catch and Regan finds himself under the cosh, being pressured by his boss (Nigel Hawthorn) to get a result before the inquiry is taken away from them.

Sweeney 2 is more than just an extended Sweeney episode. It's considerably stronger in terms of both violence and bad language that even the ground-breaking series never approached. The fact that in the cinema it was certified 'AA' (now 15) but has always been an X/18 rated video shows that it hasn't mellowed over time.

Although the film drags badly in the middle, this is more than compensated for by the spectacular action scenes and a tense final 25 minutes. The scene where the blaggers crash a Ford Cortina through a shop window, and leaving a police car trailing in it's wake, is an absolute corker and one of the iconic images from the film (look at the video cover if you don't believe me).

Although Sweeney 2 is very much a film for fans of the series, I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good police yarn. There is definite nostalgia value of the scenes of '70's London and it's great playing 'spot the familiar TV actor' as the film included the likes of Ken Hutchinson, Brian Hall, Georgina Hale and Derrick O'Connor.

I am a huge fan of The Sweeney series and also quite liked the first film. But this one is absolutely awful. First of all, there is virtually no story. The characters that made the TV series so enjoyable are just not there. Secondly, there are huge holes in the plot. Even in the times before luggage was routinely x-rayed, luggage was checked on a random basis, so bringing guns in and out of the country would have been a dangerous thing to do. And why do violent criminals allow petty fraudsters to screw them over bills? Regan and Carter are not at their best. In this film, they come across as louts and particularly Regan as downright Sleazy. The violence is pretty over the top and basically a substitute for a decent story.

Before the fourth and final season of the popular British crime television series THE SWEENEY, there were two theatrical films that hit the big screens in succession from 1977 to 1978...

The first called SWEENEY! Centered more on John Thaw's Chief Inspector Regan in a kind of NORTH BY NORTHWEST where his young protege Sergeant Carter, played by Dennis Waterman, had such little screen-time at one point he chooses not to be seen with Regan's "wrong man" at all...

Followed by the much more series-suitable SWEENEY 2 that goes fully-charged back to Scotland Yard's Flying Squad basics in what's a cop crime investigative drama mixed with buddy action centering on a unique group of bank robbers...

All British-born criminals (and their ironically normal wives and children) living large in Malta until they sporadically need just-enough money to keep their communal lives rolling...

Their leader is STRAW DOGS villain Ken Hutchison whose Mr. Hill has various golden sawed-off Purdeys, severely pointed at bank tellers or managers only half-shocked since the gang had previously threatened these various insiders about the impending assault-like blags...

But it's not all aggressive crime as the most fun's had with Regan and Carter providing SWEENEY 2 some lightweight comedy, just as they'd combine thrills and non-deliberate laughs on the series...

One great sequence breaks from the pivotal story centering on Carter dis-mantling a bomb inside a plush hotel while Regan does his usual attempt at womanizing...

But the real suspense centers on those robbers getting more and more desperate and dangerous, and how our boys cut corners to use their experienced streetwise intellect to find out exactly who and where they are and might be next.

Before he was taking down on corruption charges, Judd had assigned DI Regan the case of a gang of bank robbers. With Judd out of the picture, the Flying Squad keep the case as a mark of respect – just as the robberies become more violent than ever, with the latest getaway leaving a trial of bodies in their wake. With precious few leads, Regan and his team get to work, all too aware that it is only a matter of time before the gang strike again.

In a way Life on Mars has helped and hindered The Sweeney for viewers looking back on it with little knowledge of it the first time around. I was far too young for the series when it was aired and never bothered with it when it was repeated later in our multichannel world. Life on Mars has affectionately referenced the world of The Sweeney and this has meant that, although I am now aware of the genre, I'm also less likely to take it as seriously as it was intended. However watching this film it is evident that The Sweeney didn't take itself too seriously either and it appears to be enjoying its 70's excess and tough non-PC characters just as much as Life on Mars did. The air of humour is obvious but it doesn't take away from the tough tone that the majority has to it.

Of course this is not to say that the film itself is much cop and personally I didn't think much of it once the fun retro novelty of the film had worn off. The plot is a bit too thin to stretch to the feature-length running time and the strain does show at many points. This also means that it moves too slowly at times and loses the sense of urgency that it has in its better moments. The cast offer little but the touch male of the period. Looking back it is odd to see Thaw, Waterman, Elliott, Hawthorne and others in this type of role but, within the context of this film, they do enough to carry it.

Like my fellow reviewer Theo already said though, at least it does seem to be common with the original tone of the series, for better or worse. The novelty value got me into it and the touches of humour and tough style were more or less sufficient to make it entertaining, but regardless it is what it is.

The Flying Squad investigate a series of violent armed bank robberies that lead to a gang of ex-pats operating from Malta.

A follow-up to the 1976 first film based off the successful ITV British TV show. This film lacks some of the energy of the first film though would be pleasing for fans (even though it alas does not include the show's classic theme music).

We all know that some films are so bad that they are good.

We all know that conversely, some films are so bad that they are bad.

Sweeney 2 is the latter.

This film is sweeney in name only.

Series 4 of this classic series showed that the whole sweeney thing was played out. Then along came the first film. And to my surprise, it's actually very very good. Sure you have to allow for it's peculiarities. But they are what made sweeney so alluring.

Sadly Sweeney 2 carries on from the mess of season 4.

This film has absolutely nothing to recommend. It's got nothing.

No story.

No acting.

Just people going through to motions to get get their pay cheque.

Sweeney 2 is an embarrassment.

An unmitigated mess and best avoided.

A unforgivable conclusion to one of the finest series of all time.