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Released by: Kino Lorber
Released on: March 3rd, 2020.
Director: David Wickes/Tom Clegg
Cast: John Thaw, Dennis Waterman, Barry Foster, Ian Bannen, Diane Keen, Frank Chadwick, Denholm Elliott, Ken Hutchison
Year: 1977/1978
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Sweeney! / Sweeney 2- Movie Review:
Kino Lorber does right by fans of seventies crime films by bringing to Blu-ray a double feature release of the two theatrical films based on the popular British TV series of the same name.
Sweeney!:
The first film begins when a corrupt public relations agent named Elliott McQueen (Barry Foster) has a prostitute in his employ, Janice Wyatt (Lynda Bellingham), murdered, albeit in such a way that it looks like a suicide. Why? Because she was fooling around with a rising star in British political circles named Charles Baker (Ian Bannen) and McQueen has set it up in such a way that he can blackmail Baker into doing what he wants at the upcoming OPEC conference. McQueen, you see, is playing both sides of this, also whoring out some of his beautiful 'social secretaries' to Arab clients as well.
Janice, however, was not the most monogamous creature on the planet. In addition to boffing Baker, she was also sleeping with a low-level criminal named Ronnie Brent (Joe Melia), who just so happens to be friendly with Detective Inspector Jack Regan (John Thaw) of Scotland Yard's Flying Squadron. He starts looking into Janice's death and finds after Ronnie tells him he thinks Janice was murdered, and soon enough, Jack starts to think he's right. He starts poking about but is soon framed for a drunk driving charge and kicked off the force. Knowing damn well that he was set up, Jack, with a little bit of help from right hand man George Carter (Dennis Waterman) and a beautiful prostitute named Bianca Hamilton (Diane Keen), one of McQueen's employees, he sets out not only to clear his name but to see that justice is served, even if a few drinks are spilled and a few cars are crashed along the way.
Sweeney 2:
When this sequel begins, Jack Regan (John Thaw again) meets up with his one-time boss, Jupp (Denholm Elliott), and his lawyer. Jupp, it seems, has thrown away a good career over his gambling problems, and he wants Regan to lie under oath for him to stop him from getting into even more trouble and, ultimately, prison. Jack is no angel, but he's not willing to do that and once he tells Jupp as much, it's clear that the friendship that once existed between the two men has been immediately extinguished.
Meanwhile, Jack and the other guys in the Flying Squad have got their hands full trying to clean up a case that Jupp wasn't able to crack before he landed in hot water… that being to bring in a gang of fast moving bank robbers who have come from mainland Europe to cause trouble in London. Regan is well connected and eventually gets a hot tip that brings he and Carter (Dennis Waterman, reprising his role) to Malta but it proves all for naught when the local law enforcement officials refuse to offer any assistance. The head back to London only to learn that Jupp's replacement, and Regan's new boss, is putting an end to their approach case and encouraging them to use a different tactic. A lot of drinks and a fair amount of frustration later, Regan gets a call from Malta and the race is on…
Both of these films are a lot of fun, the kind of hard-hitting, tough-talking cop movies that will absolutely appeal to fans of Italian poliziotteschi pictures or North American Dirty Harry/French Connection style thrillers. They move at a nice, quick pace and they've got some pretty solid - and sometimes genuinely unexpected - twists and turns along the way. It's also worth noting that as these were theatrical films, free from the restraints of television censorship standards of the day, they're quite a bit stronger than their televised counterparts, so expect some bloody shootouts, some nudity and plenty of bad language! It adds to the stories' gritty vibe though, and adds some realism to the violent work that these characters inhabit.
Performances are pretty great across the board. Barry Foster makes for a great villain in the first film, and the supporting work from Bannen, Waterman and a beautiful but sympathetic Keen is also very strong. In the second film, Elliott does great work and Dennis Waterman is excellent as Regan's constantly put-upon comrade-in-arms in both pictures. That said, it's the whirling dervish that is John Thaw who really makes an impression here. As Regan, he's a very flawed, human character. He drinks too much, he's a bit of a dick, and he's got a hot temper but he does his job well and despite any misgivings we might have with him, when it comes down to it, he tries to be a good man. The ending for the first film makes it clear that he doesn't always succeed and that he can let his impulses get the best of him, but he seems like the kind of guy who would have your back should the shit actually hit the fan, which makes him endearing in a surly sort of way.
Sweeney! / Sweeney 2- Blu-ray Review:
Kino Lorber brings Sweeney! and its sequel to Blu-ray sharing a 50GB disc. Both films are given strong bit rates and look very good here, presented in AVC encoded 1080p high definition framed at 1.66.1 and 1.78.1 respectively and, if the opening logo is anything to go by, appearing to be taken from Studio Canal supplied restorations. Both movies are very clean, showing almost now print damage at all outside of the odd white speck here and there. Detail is nice and strong and we get good texture too - although it does look like some light DNR has been applied, which softens things up just a bit - particularly when it comes to the seventies attire worn by every one of the cast members and the furnishings. Colors are reproduced nicely and skin tones look just fine. No problems here at all, the picture quality is very nice
Both films get English language 16-bit DTS-HD 2.0 Mono tracks. Optional subtitles are available in English only. Audio quality is quite strong across the board. The levels are balanced well, hiss and distortion are non-issues and there's about as much depth as you could hope for here. Gun shots pack a decent punch, car tire squeals are appropriately high-pitched, and the music used throughout each features sounds really solid.
The main extras on the disc are commentary tracks for both features from film critic and author Simon Abrams. He gives plenty of background information here about the TV series that inspired the movies and talks up the different actors that appeared in the series and the films. He talks about the impact that the show had, how and why the movies came to be, the timing of when they were made and released, some of the themes that they deal with, background information on the two directors who made the pictures as well as the cast members and lots more.
Aside from that, we get trailers for the first movie and a nice selection of bonus trailers for other Kino Lorber properties (Robbery, Sudden Terror, The File Of The Golden Goose, The Laughing Policeman, Busting, Trouble Man and The Silent Partner). Menus and chapter selection are also provided.
Sweeney! / Sweeney 2- The Final Word:
Kino's Blu-ray release of Sweeney! / Sweeney 2 is a blast, presenting two high-octane crime thrillers in excellent shape and with very good audio too. The commentary from Abrams is a welcome bonus but it's the movies themselves that are, obviously the main draw. See this for John Thaw's performances alone, they're completely worth the price of admission.
Click on the images below for full sized Sweeney! / Sweeney 2Blu-ray screen caps!
