This high-octane police melodrama about an elite force that breaks the rules fighting crime in London seems rather old-fashioned—which is really no surprise, since The Sweeney is based on a British television series from the 1970s (although it has been updated to the present). Gruff, burly Ray Winstone stars as Jack Regan, head of the Flying Squad, or in Cockney slang, the “Sweeney.” Regan's crew includes former delinquent George Carter (rapper/actor Ben Drew), who's been put on the right path thanks to Jack's mentoring, and Nancy (Hayley Atwell), with whom Regan is having an affair. The amorous dilly dallying is a problem since Nancy is the wife of by-the-book internal-affairs officer Ivan (Steven Mackintosh), who is constantly on the squad's case due to its unconventional tactics. To complete the catalogue of clichés, Regan is regularly at odds with his division chief (Damian Lewis). In what amounts to an extended episode, The Sweeney revolves around a robbery in which a witness was killed, a mystery that ultimately leads to an adrenaline-filled chase through Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery. Which is to say, nothing new. Not a necessary purchase. (F. Swietek)
The Sweeney
eOne, 112 min., R, DVD: $19.98, Blu-ray: $24.98 Volume 28, Issue 4
The Sweeney
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