Do you remember when the Fast & Furious movies were about street racing? In a similar vein, the ‘Footsoldier’ films were once about football hooliganism, the original telling the true story of criminal-turned-author Carlton Leach. In that instalment, Pat Tate (Craig Fairbrass) was brutally slain in the notorious Rettendon murders but the series has continually gone back in time to keep him alive and kicking (and punching).
Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution is the seventh chapter, a direct sequel to 2023’s “Vengeance” prequel. Directed by Nick Nevern, the plot sees Tate arrive in Ibiza still on the warpath to avenge his friend. His primary targets are Greener (Nevern) and Fisher (Andrew Loveday) but as they become embroiled in a Bosnian gun-running operation with disgraced marine Sullivan (Tamer Hassan) and mercenary Sergio (Leo Gregory), he adds even more enemies to his list.
Setting the usual laddish tone early on, a neon-infused beat-em-up sequence is soundtracked by a throbbing dance music bassline at a sleazy nightclub. Having gone Mediterranean once before in the series, the sun-soaked surroundings of the White Isle makes for a great landscape for Tate’s latest adventure, levelling up from the seedy underbelly of Soho to Spain’s sandy beaches. As well as portraying the antagonists, Loveday and Nevern have penned the screenplay and while the dialogue often leaves a lot to be desired, the storytelling pushes boundaries with neatly executed shootouts and showdowns that take the franchise to new extremes.
Gone are the days of earlier iterations when Fairbrass presented Tate as a coked-up neanderthal. The actor now has a run of formidable turns in the likes of Muscle and Villain under his belt, and this shows in his more nuanced performance. He can still smash a bouncer against a wall with the best of them, but this version of the character is a little more measured in his actions. Newcomer Vanessa Bauer impresses in her screen debut as Isabella and the sprawling cast is made up of genre favourites such as Jamie Foreman, Vincent Regan, and Phil Davis; it’s like Infinity War for the Nuts & Zoo generation.
A solid entry into the ever-expanding FCU, director Nick Nevern is challenging expectations with Rise of the Footsoldier: Retribution. It’s come a long way from the terraces of Essex and fans will continue to revel in the unfiltered entertainment on offer.
