There's a glut of these sort of films but this latest offering from the ROTF franchise, documenting the trials and tribulations of Pat Tate and the people he comes into contact with, isn't too bad an effort if you like this sort of film. If you're able to look past the ageing actors and lack of attempt at setting the action in the 90's you'll find snappy dialogue and a good soundtrack, but most importantly you'll find that Craig Fairbrass really does excel at playing arrogant, psychopathic and dangerous characters such as the one they are trying to portray this time round in Pat Tate. If there was a TV mini-series produced which followed the adventures of Pat, Tony and Craig as they do drug deals, kick lumps out of people and get into various scrapes and capers with plenty of swearing thrown in, I would most definitely watch it. Each episode would always end with a mention of Mickey Steele's supposed drug-deal, followed by all three getting blasted away in the Range Rover, with 'Heaven knoooooows what life may brii-iing...' played in the background. Then, a sneak-preview of next week's episode - Tony and Craig set off to buy some drugs, but Craig leaves the money in a McDonald's toilets. Meanwhile, Pat glasses someone in a pub for looking at him the wrong way. Tune in next week!
43 Reviews
An apology for the second one
Groverdox23 August 2019
Remember how disappointed you were with the lack of violence in "Rise of the Footsoldier Part II"? Well, worry not my friend, because this next sequel is, if anything, more violent than over-the-top original. Heads and faces are smashed with hammers and fire extinguishers, skewered with broken bottles, and forced through plate glass windows. I lost count of the bludgeonings and stabbings in this movie.
This one focuses on the Craig Fairbrass character from the first "Footsoldier". He was one of the bigger psychopaths in that movie, but here, is humanised somewhat. He also looks quite a bit older, but can still play scary.
"Rise of the Footsoldier 3" also has less of a story than the first one, but it kept me engaged through its constant violence and central performances. I say check it out.
This one focuses on the Craig Fairbrass character from the first "Footsoldier". He was one of the bigger psychopaths in that movie, but here, is humanised somewhat. He also looks quite a bit older, but can still play scary.
"Rise of the Footsoldier 3" also has less of a story than the first one, but it kept me engaged through its constant violence and central performances. I say check it out.
The third act in the trilogy is not without merit but struggles with its own third act
azanti002910 November 2017
The first ROTF film hit our screens back in 2007. It was brash, ambitious, epic noisy and savaged (unfairly in my opinion) by the establishment critics. While not a perfect film by any means, I always thought it was very under-rated and gave something to the British Gangster Genre we hadn't seen in a while. From it came a sequel a couple of years ago, continuing on the story of Carlton Leach. Odd then, that the production company decided to go back and tell the earlier story of one of the least likable characters, Patrick Tate, from the first film. (Played by again by Craig Fairbrass)
We get an early insight into Pat's forays into the criminal underworld both in Spain and Essex, his time in prison and the road he would take to eventually meet Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe (Terry Stone and Roland Manookian complete with wigs reprising their previous roles) which would ultimately result in his demise.
The film starts strongly, taking us back to his earlier enterprises on the Spanish Riveria. The first third focuses on the friendship between Tate and Kenny, though the origins of this pairing are not really explored. Relative newcomer Josh Myers as Kenny, a potential prodigy to Tate clearly understands his acting craft with his solid 'less is more' performance but his character comes and goes and has no real roots in the film, nor do we find out enough about him. Much of the middle act concerns Tate's time in Prison and the rivals he encounters both there and on the Essex club scene. Some good supporting performances (Ian Virgo and Jamie Foreman) inject much needed subtle humanity into their roles along with some unusual casting choices. Even Andrew Loveday, head of Carnaby International, makes an appearance! But contrary to someone else's comments on here I found the actress who stepped into Kierston Wearing's shoes as Kate (Played in the third film by Laura McMonagle) to be solid, a different portrayal sure, but played with emotive conviction.
The main (and obvious) problem with this film, is Tate is simply not a very likable man. We learn nothing of his childhood years nor the beginnings of the journey he took to becoming a criminal, there is just an assumption that he always was a 'wrong un'. He is selfish, self-centred and seems unable to connect with people emotionally except through fits of rage. Tate, as portrayed, has no redeemable qualities whatsoever making it very hard for you to root or care about what happens to him. Sure, films can be made about people from history who are evil (There's been enough about Hitler to give but one example!) but here we only see one dimension to this man. He's just a total arsehole all the time which after a while becomes a little draining. If he isn't taking coke and beating people up, he's on the verge of doing the same and when he thinks he's funny, he isn't and it's at someone else's expense. This is not a person you would want to meet under any circumstances and if the mission of the film was to tell the world they were better off without him, then it certainly succeeds. Apart from a brief moment where he regrets punching a child in front of his father we just don't see any other sides to him. (This was for me one of the most effective scenes in the film and the only time we saw his inner conflict) The other issue is the age of the characters. For a film which primarily focuses on events set before the first film, it is hard to not continually note the age of everyone on screen and this isn't helped by some cutting flashbacks to the original movie, blurred though they may be, we are simply reminded of how much younger everyone was ten years ago. There were also some inconsistencies with the original material. In his scenes here Craig Rolfe feels very much as an equal partner to the enterprises of Tate and Tucker whereas before he was constantly treated as their lackey, the latter depiction would seem to be the more truthful one. As events draw nearer to the inevitable the film just seemed to end. I was expecting to see some consequences of the aftermath. Tate's daughter could have been an interesting narrator for this story, looking back to try and distinguish the myth and reality of a father she never knew.
The film is not without merit - it's well shot, has a thumping soundtrack and good attention to detail on period production design but a stronger more thoughtful screenplay could have made for a much more powerful film. It has the energy that the second film was lacking but doesn't measure up as well elsewhere.
All that said, for the fan of the genre there's much to enjoy. Fairbrass gets stuck into the role, even if we learn nothing new, he is as convincing as before in his portrayal of the drug-fuelled paranoid psychopath that Tate ultimately became. Well choreographed fight scenes and spurts of violence (The moments that are underplayed are more effective than the gore) will keep people satisfied. I have no doubt this film will receive more of a critical bashing than it deserves. Despite my personal gripes, you can see where the hard work has gone into the film to put it in a league above other recent movies of the same genre. It would be fair to say it does what it says on the tin.
We get an early insight into Pat's forays into the criminal underworld both in Spain and Essex, his time in prison and the road he would take to eventually meet Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe (Terry Stone and Roland Manookian complete with wigs reprising their previous roles) which would ultimately result in his demise.
The film starts strongly, taking us back to his earlier enterprises on the Spanish Riveria. The first third focuses on the friendship between Tate and Kenny, though the origins of this pairing are not really explored. Relative newcomer Josh Myers as Kenny, a potential prodigy to Tate clearly understands his acting craft with his solid 'less is more' performance but his character comes and goes and has no real roots in the film, nor do we find out enough about him. Much of the middle act concerns Tate's time in Prison and the rivals he encounters both there and on the Essex club scene. Some good supporting performances (Ian Virgo and Jamie Foreman) inject much needed subtle humanity into their roles along with some unusual casting choices. Even Andrew Loveday, head of Carnaby International, makes an appearance! But contrary to someone else's comments on here I found the actress who stepped into Kierston Wearing's shoes as Kate (Played in the third film by Laura McMonagle) to be solid, a different portrayal sure, but played with emotive conviction.
The main (and obvious) problem with this film, is Tate is simply not a very likable man. We learn nothing of his childhood years nor the beginnings of the journey he took to becoming a criminal, there is just an assumption that he always was a 'wrong un'. He is selfish, self-centred and seems unable to connect with people emotionally except through fits of rage. Tate, as portrayed, has no redeemable qualities whatsoever making it very hard for you to root or care about what happens to him. Sure, films can be made about people from history who are evil (There's been enough about Hitler to give but one example!) but here we only see one dimension to this man. He's just a total arsehole all the time which after a while becomes a little draining. If he isn't taking coke and beating people up, he's on the verge of doing the same and when he thinks he's funny, he isn't and it's at someone else's expense. This is not a person you would want to meet under any circumstances and if the mission of the film was to tell the world they were better off without him, then it certainly succeeds. Apart from a brief moment where he regrets punching a child in front of his father we just don't see any other sides to him. (This was for me one of the most effective scenes in the film and the only time we saw his inner conflict) The other issue is the age of the characters. For a film which primarily focuses on events set before the first film, it is hard to not continually note the age of everyone on screen and this isn't helped by some cutting flashbacks to the original movie, blurred though they may be, we are simply reminded of how much younger everyone was ten years ago. There were also some inconsistencies with the original material. In his scenes here Craig Rolfe feels very much as an equal partner to the enterprises of Tate and Tucker whereas before he was constantly treated as their lackey, the latter depiction would seem to be the more truthful one. As events draw nearer to the inevitable the film just seemed to end. I was expecting to see some consequences of the aftermath. Tate's daughter could have been an interesting narrator for this story, looking back to try and distinguish the myth and reality of a father she never knew.
The film is not without merit - it's well shot, has a thumping soundtrack and good attention to detail on period production design but a stronger more thoughtful screenplay could have made for a much more powerful film. It has the energy that the second film was lacking but doesn't measure up as well elsewhere.
All that said, for the fan of the genre there's much to enjoy. Fairbrass gets stuck into the role, even if we learn nothing new, he is as convincing as before in his portrayal of the drug-fuelled paranoid psychopath that Tate ultimately became. Well choreographed fight scenes and spurts of violence (The moments that are underplayed are more effective than the gore) will keep people satisfied. I have no doubt this film will receive more of a critical bashing than it deserves. Despite my personal gripes, you can see where the hard work has gone into the film to put it in a league above other recent movies of the same genre. It would be fair to say it does what it says on the tin.
It's no goodfellas but....
Chrispearce220 September 2021
Entertainingly awful
mtookey1 June 2018
I definitely put this film into the "so bad it's good category"! It reminded me of a kind of parody of a gangster movie, a bit like the Fast Shows "It's a Right Royal Cockney Barrel Of Monkeys"!! The plot was ridiculous, the comically fearless central character embodied every "gangster cliche" there is and the script was diabolical. Having said that, the soundtrack was brilliant and some of the scenes were hysterical! - especially the one involving Shaun Ryder! This isn't exactly the Godfather, but if you're in the mood for a wonderfully puerile, ridiculously violent and dark-humoured movie, then give it a go. Above all, it is, quite enjoyable!!
Terrible writing and even worse screenplay
Top_Dawg_Critic13 November 2017
I'm a fan of Craig Fairbrass and really liked him in London Heist, of which was way better written (by Fairbrass) than this hot mess. Amateur writer Mike Loveday assembled a convoluted screenplay that basically shows violence and cocaine marathons and bounces back and forth in the scenes and has more plot holes than a strainer. Zackary Adler's directing was OK, probably the best he could do with such a poor script. It's too bad more effort wasn't put towards the writing of at least having a seasoned writer at least proofread this mess of a script. Although the comedy and violence was still entertaining, it's still only a generous 5/10 from me, more-so for decent cinematography and awesome location sets and visuals.
Much better than Number 2
stephenbishop-229256 January 2019
A different take concentrating on Pat Tate as opposed to Carlton Leach. Contains some cracking humour (The swimming pool scene, Cheese) but plenty of violence as expected.
Good script and acting from the old school team that were in the original. You can't beat Terry Stone (Who plays Tony Tucker).
A good instalment in the series.
Christ On A Bike
robgair11 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know why I do it to myself, moreover I don't know why so many British actors that I half like keep turning up in this turgid nonsense. Undoubtedly there was, with the Essex shootings of three low level drug dealers a story to be told, this has been done with the first instalment and Essex Dogs. This rehash of the same old ground told from Pat's perspective is unsympathetic, patchwork story telling stealing ideas from The Business and it's own first two instalments. Dialogue that Danny Dyer would baulk at having to deliver and more cliches per minute than Premier League commentary. If Billy Murray is plotting a fourth instalment from Craig or Tommy's perspective it'll transform a snapshot of Britain's seedy gangster underbelly in to Soap Opera, I don't doubt that this guff makes money but, it's been done. Leave it alone. Now a half decent film about the 80s London firm.........that'd be a film worth making.
Better than I expected
richardstirling30 December 2020
After enjoying watching Rise of the Footsoldier I thought I would give this a go. Like the original it is a low budget, fairly run of the mill, violent gangster film. What makes this more watchable is the quality acting and entertaining dialogue. Craig Fairbrass for me is up there with Ray Winstone in this type of film and gives a really powerful performance. Here is a gangster who you really would not want to get on the wrong side of!! All in all if you like this type of film it's definitely worth a watch.
Awful
stevenwoods-5419827 April 2021
Brilliant !!
leejasiok29 September 2018
Eldorado...Pat Tate style!
rich-43834-8239513 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Rise III puts Pat Tate against all odds as he escapes the dock with relative ease and heads to Marbella.
Pat needs to make money...he loves coke and pills...he needs that edge!
Craig Fairbrass sticks to Pat Tate like Marmite to Toast, you either love him or hate him.
What's not to love, he ends up causing too much 'agg!' for the likes of Larry Lamb (of Superman I and III fame), Billy Murray (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1,2,3 fame) and Shaun Ryder (Shaun Ryder on UFO's on the History Channel) - he rocks the boat without a paddle!
He's got a friend in Tony Tucker who loves coke and loyal to Sam (Jamie Forman) but when a couple of toss-pots try to large it and go for Sam it all goes pure Pat! He ain't having none of it...he takes on anyone whilst serving time.
He lifts weights, takes on more coke whilst Billy Murray watches in his cell, then buzzes so hard he needs to pleasure the full on mini-Pat!
There's a lot going for it but needed Marcus Tandy in a cameo for that extra-added nostalgia to please the BBC boomer generation.
Pat Tate goes in hard, fast but wakes up like a C( ) NT when he takes too much of the white stuff!
Is this Craig Fairbrass' best film....who knows? It's so high it's in orbit!
Pat needs to make money...he loves coke and pills...he needs that edge!
Craig Fairbrass sticks to Pat Tate like Marmite to Toast, you either love him or hate him.
What's not to love, he ends up causing too much 'agg!' for the likes of Larry Lamb (of Superman I and III fame), Billy Murray (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 1,2,3 fame) and Shaun Ryder (Shaun Ryder on UFO's on the History Channel) - he rocks the boat without a paddle!
He's got a friend in Tony Tucker who loves coke and loyal to Sam (Jamie Forman) but when a couple of toss-pots try to large it and go for Sam it all goes pure Pat! He ain't having none of it...he takes on anyone whilst serving time.
He lifts weights, takes on more coke whilst Billy Murray watches in his cell, then buzzes so hard he needs to pleasure the full on mini-Pat!
There's a lot going for it but needed Marcus Tandy in a cameo for that extra-added nostalgia to please the BBC boomer generation.
Pat Tate goes in hard, fast but wakes up like a C( ) NT when he takes too much of the white stuff!
Is this Craig Fairbrass' best film....who knows? It's so high it's in orbit!
Just don't bother
alanfroggatt-0960310 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Yes Craig Fairbrass gives a good performance but he is just TOO OLD for this role now. I am not generally one to be a stickler for detail and I can usually suspend disbelief as necessary, but seeing these geriatrics trying to portray much younger people in a Prequel was just too much. The storyline was thinner than my hair!
If you enjoyed the original, do yourself a massive favour and do not watch this, all it does is ruin the memory of a classic.
Please do not make another..... I would pay money not to see it
If you enjoyed the original, do yourself a massive favour and do not watch this, all it does is ruin the memory of a classic.
Please do not make another..... I would pay money not to see it
Just a thought
mark-9627918 July 2021
I was 19 and worked in Basildon in august 95 before the executions think I just reminisce it makes me think it was around us all working away. As we went out drinking and went to Rachel's just weird how things pan out. The films are good and make you think ? No one will ever solve the rettodden hit it was a professional job nothing left at all it's a mind blowing case. Like Carlton leach says in foot soldier 1 the only people who no the truth are in the ground very wise words. Great films though for imagination. 👍👍
Seriously? You watch this?
desimonici-898-58442127 April 2019
Seriously who is watching this garbage about men who have the mentality of testosterone charged 13 year old boys. The kind of men who want another man castrated because he slept with his "bird" even though he himself has been banging everything he can get his hands on... You know, them "dirty little cows" not the breeding type. If these people exist in this form they are moronic. They're basically cave men. How is that entertaining beyond comedic value and I say this as someone who was born and bred in the same place as Fairbrass.
Caaants
alanjudge-3021911 November 2017
We re-join the same characters from the first film. What's to say about this one. It has more violence. It isn't very accurate to what happened, but it is good enough to fill a few hours. Nothing ground breaking here. There are no good or bad, just bad on both sides. General caaants I guess.
Fall of the footsoldier
annieringading7 October 2019
Not sure how this is the rise of anything other than my blood pressure. Doesn't even center around the main character that this drivel is based on. Carlton Leech was meant to be the footsoldier supposedly on the rise, but must of been on the bad as absent from this one.
Thought part 2 was a step up but this shows it was just a fluke. Stone and Fairbrass do not make a bad film good, just a lot worse
Thought part 2 was a step up but this shows it was just a fluke. Stone and Fairbrass do not make a bad film good, just a lot worse
Dead bodies make a lot of noise.
nogodnomasters22 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Films covers the life of gangster/drug dealer Pat Tate from 1988 to 1995. Pat (Craig Fairbrass) dealt drugs in South End Essex clubs and would strong arm anyone that got in the way. The film includes ample amount of fighting. Perhaps Pat's biggest problem was that he liked the product too much and would go into coke rages. Decent crime story. I like the sound track.
Guide: F-word, sex, nudity.
Guide: F-word, sex, nudity.
Would've been better as a short story, or as part of an anthology film
r96sk11 January 2021
Weakest of the first three.
'Rise of the Footsoldier 3' doesn't work. It's one that is all about Pat Tate and fills in the blanks of that character's history. In my opinion, it's flat throughout. There's a few decent scenes, but they are too far apart to have any effect. This plot would've been better as a short story, or as part of an anthology film. There's not enough there for a full blown film.
Craig Fairbrass is OK in the lead role, not good or bad. I do appreciate the returns of the likes of Terry Stone and Roland Manookian, while the addition of Jamie Foreman is alright. There's a few interesting minor appearances, including from Larry Lamb, Shaun Ryder and Paddy Doherty.
However, all in all, I found myself bored pretty much from beginning to end. It's a slow 99 minutes.
'Rise of the Footsoldier 3' doesn't work. It's one that is all about Pat Tate and fills in the blanks of that character's history. In my opinion, it's flat throughout. There's a few decent scenes, but they are too far apart to have any effect. This plot would've been better as a short story, or as part of an anthology film. There's not enough there for a full blown film.
Craig Fairbrass is OK in the lead role, not good or bad. I do appreciate the returns of the likes of Terry Stone and Roland Manookian, while the addition of Jamie Foreman is alright. There's a few interesting minor appearances, including from Larry Lamb, Shaun Ryder and Paddy Doherty.
However, all in all, I found myself bored pretty much from beginning to end. It's a slow 99 minutes.
Absolute Nonsense! But very entertaining!
alexreyn228 January 2021
This film is ridiculous, but really enjoyable to watch.
It's known that the script for this was fictitious as opposed to the previous, which would explain a lot. But nevertheless this film possesses numerous entertaining scenes from entertaining characters to brutal fight scenes.
Craig Fairbrass was even better than the first Footsolider film for me as the absolute nutter Pat Tate and Terry Stone was again fantastic as Tony Tucker.
It has a completely different feel to the first as it is not told by one person perspective, which affects the way the story was told and the general pace and feel of the film.
Overall don't take this film too seriously, but it was (for me anyway) very entertaining and you won't be bored!
It's known that the script for this was fictitious as opposed to the previous, which would explain a lot. But nevertheless this film possesses numerous entertaining scenes from entertaining characters to brutal fight scenes.
Craig Fairbrass was even better than the first Footsolider film for me as the absolute nutter Pat Tate and Terry Stone was again fantastic as Tony Tucker.
It has a completely different feel to the first as it is not told by one person perspective, which affects the way the story was told and the general pace and feel of the film.
Overall don't take this film too seriously, but it was (for me anyway) very entertaining and you won't be bored!
Awful script
Leofwine_draca19 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The third in the endless FOOTSOLDIER series and it's another prequel showing what the small-time gangsters were up to prior to the infamous 'Essex Boys' range rover murders. The protagonist in this one is the brawny Craig Fairbrass, who doesn't speak his lines so much as spit them out with incessant profanity and a singular lack of wit all round. It's a film saddled with a terrible script, only slightly better than the second film in the series thanks to some minor roles for familiar faces from film and television, and lots of crunchy violence which is at least more entertaining than the woodenhead dialogue.
Great flim had heaps of laughs
jacknyblomprice20 May 2019
Good film but not as good as the first one
ts-2763610 April 2021
Laughably bad.
garryduncan-9554813 October 2021
This film is at times so bad it's actually unintentionally hilarious. Awful plot, terrible script and just as bad acting. I gave it five stars because it does have moments that are so funny. For example...six minutes in Craig Fairbrass in his typical tough sounding cockney accent delivers this absolute gem of a line!
'Pills got me up, but I needed the Charlie to stay sharp, the powder kept me alert, keeps the anger at boiling point just where I need to be' Comedy gold!
Seriously though it is awful.
'Pills got me up, but I needed the Charlie to stay sharp, the powder kept me alert, keeps the anger at boiling point just where I need to be' Comedy gold!
Seriously though it is awful.
Decent watch
mark-9627918 July 2021
Watched this film think it is decent to the times takes me back into the 90s when things could be bad.can relate to most things how it were takes me back. The prison scene is abit far fetched apart from that a good watch fairbrass plays Tate good they all play there part it's a shame they wanted it all it doesn't work that way. 👍👍xxx.
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