Bank of Dave 2: The Loan Ranger

Loved BOD1 but this is just terrible. The magic, the passion, the writing, the acting - none of it is there.

The story line is pathetic. The situations are unrealistic.

I don't yet know if BOD2 is also based on events or fiction but the whole thing smalls fake and the idea of throwing in the odd political barb doesn't work.

It would probably have worked a lot better as a Panorama documentary.

Why do we have to leave such long reviews. I've said what I need to and what folk need to hear, to offset the fake critics reviews which are just part of the marketing push.

Lastly, Burnley is not a brilliant place.

But try to enjoy this depressing drivel.

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

Following his successful battle with the big banks, Dave (Rory Kinnear) now he faces a new adversary: Pay Day Loan Lenders, who are targeting the poor and vulnerable, offering financial lifelines before charging exorbitant interest rates. When the top companies are identified, it is discovered that they are just subsidiaries of financial companies based in the U. S., headed by the shady Carlo Mancini (Rob Heaney.) Dave calls in the help of U. S. based expert Jessica (Chrissy Metz) and shy accountant Oliver (Amit Shah) to help in his battle against them.

2023's Bank of Dave obviously made enough of an impression that this hastily delivered sequel has arrived early in the new year, perfectly understandable as times remain tough, and many people are struggling to get by and see their standard of life declining, even though this film actually charts events that now occurred over ten years ago, concerning the regulation of pay day loans. But the present situation was the result of gradual design, and so it's worth a look in.

Director Chris Foggin returns to directing duties, and pretty much repeats the formula of his previous film, basically aiming for a feel good true life tale, in the midst of hard financial times, but while the novelty of this might have seen it by the first time, this time the cracks are a little harder to cover over. While it's portraying no doubt fundamentally honest, salt-of-the-earth working people, it feels over sanitised, lacking the raw, gritty feel of a true, working class area, and suffering as a result. All the gang from before have returned, but it's on a bigger scope now going stateside, leading to an unnecessary and distracting subplot involving an awkward romance between Oliver and Jessica.

If you particularly enjoyed the first one, there are more rich pickings for you here, with Kinnear back on form as the earthy, modest Dave, and a strong supporting cast, just a script that doesn't do the most with the potential at hand. ***

"Bank of Dave 2" continues the themes of challenging big banks on behalf of the little guy, but it struggles to match the charm and freshness of the first film. The story remains engaging, though the courtroom scenes and action-heavy moments feel less impactful and somewhat forced. Rory Kinnear and Jo Hartley deliver as Dave and Nicky, but the absence of beloved characters from Part 1 is noticeable. Forced subplots, including a bland love story, drag down the film's emotional impact. While Burnley's small-town setting adds authenticity, pacing issues and a weaker supporting cast make this sequel less memorable. A decent follow-up worth watching for fans of the original, but it doesn't quite live up to its predecessor.

Obviously these aren't meant to be high-end, high-budget films. There's a certain charm to the low production value and deliberate cheesiness of the Bank of Dave films; the same vibe as those 90s and 00s "guilty pleasure" romcoms...

My main fault is that Bank of Dave 2's cheesiness overlaps with lazy storytelling. Aside from an overly predictable romantic storyline, there are too many convenient "coincidences", and at times the plot verges on absurd...

E.g. Def Leppard are conveniently in the right place at the right time, and they help Dave out in quite an unconventional and unrealistic way...(!)(among other eyeroll-inducing coincidences in the plot)

That being said, it's a fun and easy watch overall, making it one to watch again at Christmas etc. I'd give it 6 stars, but since I'm from near "Burnleh" it makes the film funnier and more relatable... So I'll add another star and say 7 😉

What more could you want. Good film based on true story in UK how one man helped change the UKs policies on the corrupt money lending business of credit loan sharks. Follows on from Bank of Dave which again was based on true story. Easy to watch with a true happy ending and involves the famous rock band Def Leppard. Always been a fan and listen to them today, was great seeing them do something like this one and the first one too and why not they are people after all.

Very enjoyable, nice that it was based on true story and that the actual Bank of Dave is still going strong today. Oh and it's got Def Leppard in it too if you missed that.