Rise Of The Footsoldier: Origins

I have travelled several time to England, and the first time was in late 2002. I remember that journey especially, because i was drunk. Not all the time, but more than usual ( let´s just say i almost fell out of the bus at one point ). Perhaps it was because i was in really good company with some Scottish friends, who i would spend more time with in Scotland. Anyway, the first time in London in 2002 was especially fun, because it was the first time i got to experience real British pubs with really crazy brits. I remember one evening at a British karaoke bar, where one guy went up on stage and started to sing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. It was the worst singing voice i have heard that year, but i loved him for doing his performance so wild. People cheered all over the bar, and moments like that are magical. Who cares if you can sing or not? Just have a good time, and that guy made that night fantastic. The first time i went to London i did not really see all the famous places, not until i went there my second time in 2012. That was the first time i really got to see more of London, and see the famous locations across town. Let´s go back to 2002 again, and there was one thing i especially remember in London at my first vacation there, and that was one night when we visited a football bar. I can honestly say that i don´t remember the team Manchester United was meeting on TV, i had quite a lot of whiskey, but the atmosphere in there was really loud. As we were sitting there, a group of football supporters started fighting outside, and they were quite violent. I have heard about football hooligans here in Sweden, but this was on a completely different level. Police came and ended the fight, but i was a little bit shocked how violent they were. Since then, i have seen news reports from different football games in England, and it´s very clear that football hooligans are still a huge problem. No one should be beaten up, no matter what team you cheer for. Speaking of football holligans, i remember one specific film called Rise Of The Footsoldier, directed by Julian Gilbey. Released in 2007, this film is based on true events featured in the autobiography of Inner City Firm hoologan turned gangster Carlton Leech, and the drug dealers Pat Tate and Tony Tucker. Rise Of The Footsoldier is a really brutal, and really well made criminal drama film, that shows the real lifestyle of football hooligans, and how they operate in criminal gangs. If you want to see powerful acting performances, this film is a great choice. My suggestion is that you get the Double UK DVD, that includes some nice special features as well. There have been several sequels released since 2007, and i have not seen any of them. But i decided to give the new film Rise Of The Footsolder: Origins a chance, since i really enjoyed the original film. Is this a worthy prequel to the original film, or is this a film that will most likely be forgotten on the DVD shelves?

Falklands war veteran Tony Tucker ( Terry Stone ) gets a job as a nightclub bouncer, after helping the nightclub owner´s son survive from a violent attack. At first he seems to be living life, getting respect and enjoying a party life. Until things get out of control as he join forces with criminals Pat Tate ( Craig Fairbass ) and Craig Rolfe ( Roland Manookian ) to capitalise on the drug boom.

It´s been a while since i watched the original film, but i still remember how good it was. I should mention that i have not seen any of the sequels, so i can´t say anything about them. So i knew that there might be a chance that i don´t understand the full story, and that´s ok. I still decided to go into this latest film with an open mind, still remembering the original film. Seeing this prequel made me realise, that there are some details that the first film did not share with the audience. Prequels are actually pretty difficult to make, since they usually have a lot of pressure, to get the respect from fans of the original film. In the case of Rise Of The Soldier: Origins, i have to say that they have done a pretty good job, trying to tell the story how it all started. I actually prefer prequels than sequels sometimes, since they can actually be more interesting. In the case of Rise Of The Footsoldier: Origins, we actually get to find out how it all started for Tony Tucker ( played really good by British actor Terry Stone ). You get to see him being in security business, and we also get to see how things started to get out of control with drugs and alcohol. Legendary actor Craif Fairbrass ( who is also in the original film ) deliver once again a top quality acting performance. What i especially appreciate about this prequel is the fact that the whole cast seems to have taken their roles seriously, and you can actually sense that they tried to make an effort to portrait the life of these criminals, and make this prequel connect to the original film. You can´t really see their lives getting any better, since they make a lot of bad decisions. You also begin to wonder, if some of them really understand themselves that this is not a lifestyle that will last forever. No matter how many drugs they take, and alcohol, at some point it will all fall apart. It is like they are living for each day, and don´t give a fuck what could happen tomorrow. I really appreciate seeing legendary football player, and actor Vinnie Jones in this film as the character Bernard. A hard headed bouncer, who is not afraid to clean up the nightclub. He is really a perfect match for this role. Director Nick Nevern ( who i especially remember from the great crime TV mini series Prime Suspercts 1973 ) deliver a prequel that does not only look good, but also includes great acting, and a story that definetely is a wake up call for anyone struggling with addiction. If you did enjoy the 2007 film, you should definetely see Rise Of The Footsoldiers: Origins. I picked up my DVD copy online, and so should you.

Rating: DDD