The Fall of the Essex Boys

we have already seen a lot of films about this story (and all of then very enjoyable) but this film is spoilt but a story that feels rushed and a narration by someone who is clearly wants to be the local hard nut down his "locaaal Booooza mayte"

Who ever done the soundtrack needs to do more research as this film is based in the early 90s but features up to date house and dnb throughout - a minor point you may think but it does make a difference

putting the tedious voice over and rushed story aside the acting is pretty good and the filming is good

Skip this and watch bonded by blood or essex boys if you want a better showing of this story

Where do we start. If you really have nothing else to do, you could do worse.

Paul Tanter is an up and comer, but he is in danger of "pigeon holing" himself in this genre of gritty crime dramas. He is obviously talented and his past work with Simon Phillips and Nick Neverne is worthy of inspection. Phillips in particular was under used in the acting sense for this picture.

OK the story - Same old, same old. with a couple of extra twists, which if you believe the front cover/poster, will enlighten us as it is the "only true Essex Boys movie". If you do, you'll be disappointed. Some characters were depicted with their real names, other were complete falsehoods, like the poor girl who tragically died. I am sure that there are reasons why real names were not used.

Same format, different actors, apart from poor Kierston Wareing, who has now played Pat Tate's downtrodden lady in at least three films. Now Kierston is good, a very good actress, but she really must either live in Southend, close to the pier, or Alex Kingston sold the exclusive rights to the part, once she saw how bad Essex Boys turned out. Kierston, all that breeze coming off the North Sea is beginning to make your cheeks very rosy. Get inside and have a cup of hot tea!

The main protagonists - Jay Brown I like, but in this part (Tucker)he seems to have been told to walk around like he was in a Mr Universe pose-down. He is so much better than that. The script obviously did not allow him to play the part with the charisma of Terry Stone who played the part on a couple of previous occasions. Pete Barratt swears his way through the move, as all previous Tate incarnations have to do. Unfortunately he doesn't look the part, like the hulking Tamar Hassan or have the presence of the charismatic Craig Fairbrass who I think is best actor to capture this hoodlum. (although you could argue that Hassan and Fairbrass gave Tate a comedic turn also, however warped that sounds.)

The police detective was solid and Ewan Ross was believable. Unfortunately the scenes where he was the central character, gave him little to work with in terms of antagonist to converse with and develop his character more.

There must have been investment from someone and I love the fact that people are still investing in UK film. Maybe this was a tax break, because if I was a serious investor - I would be upset with my end product.

The story has been done and has been done better, much better. The worst of the films depicting this infamous story. It is time it was left alone now. I do not blame the actors. I blame a weak script and blasé production.

3/10 - Could do better, but please do not try with this story again please.

There are now three movies on the 1995 Rettendon murders, if I have counted correctly. In chronological order: Essex Boys, The Rise Of The Foot Soldier, and now The Fall Of The Essex Boys. The former is a conventional feature movie (starring Sean Bean), the latter two use a documentary-style approach with first-person narrators. The Fall Of The Essex Boys tries to be the hardest of them all, it almost feels as if the narrator is spitting into your ear ("It didn't take long for the near gear to spread frough Essex like an effing virus.") The actors are all trying a bit to hard to appear tough as nails and their overdone Cockney accents quickly begin to grate. At the same time, it does a bad job at recounting at least a semblance of a plot. All three movies revel in machism and violence. If that's your cuppa, I recommend The Rise Of The Footsoldier, to which The Fall Of The Essex Boys has nothing to add (except maybe more plump-breasted birds).

The fact that a fairly conventional triple gangland murder still spawns movies twenty years later tells you what a quiet little place Old Blighty really is.

OK...just because you give ten or so people a "Sarfend/Essex" accent it makes them a gangster. Well it don't. Too many films have tried to copy the original Lock, Stock and Two Smoking barrels and failed doing so, this is no exception.

Some of the acting is abysmal, some of them I am sure were just picked off the local bus stops and told to read a script. The running commentary is a "larf" with pseudo Cockney/Essex/Gangster accents, it's almost comical and turned the whole thing into a parody of it's self.

Other than that it is watchable and do like I did and wait for it to be in the bargain bin in your local Tesco for a £3.00!Also for a film post 2012 why the old bangers? Gangsters at least have Audi's and Jags nowadays.....

I thought, Not another film about the Rettendon Murders. They say it is the best British Gangster film in years since Lock Stock. May as well watch it. Sounds great!.

What a let down. At first I wasn't sure how long I could listen to the overacted narration of Darren Nichols. Shouting the story line like he was on speed on a football terrace. Then the awful acting started.

Most of the scenes were badly cut and shot and the colour correction and lighting was all over the place. Far too many technical distractions for me to sit and enjoy. Also, what was the casting on? Pat Tate was a mountain of a guy!

Lets hope this is the last film made about the "Essex Boys" and that British gangster films see a new breed of quality actors and directors in the future.