The Fall of the Essex Boys (2012)

Well there's not much to say that hasn't already been said about this terrible film, particularly the idiot who ruins the entire film doing the voice over - he attempts to sound 'ard and menacing but ends up SHOUTING EVERY SINGLE WORD and just sounds like a total nob head who cannot act to save his life. The characters were all wrongly cast, and wrongly acted by a bunch of fools, The exception being the guy playing the grass, who should have swerved this movie as he is actually a good actor and deserves better scripts and Co- stars than this pile of crap. 'Rise of the foot soldier' was so so much better in every aspect, better cast, direction and writing. Don't waste time and money on this, watch foot soldier if you haven't already, and leave it at that. I noticed a couple of positive reviews here, don't be fooled, I bet they are from the idiots that had something to do with the making of this film lol *********AVOID THIS MOVIE AT ALL COSTS*******

There have been three films made about this very case, which in my (not so) humble opinion is at least one too many... and this entry may be the straw that broke the dromedary's back. Hamstrung by a tw*t of a narrator who you want to psychically harm ever time he utters a syllable, and full of drug-snorting losers who can only repeat the C and F words ad infinitum, there is no-one here to care about and consequently, zero reason to keep you watching. Of course, this being a 'lads' movie they throw in a strip joint with plenty of gratuitous nudity for the undiscerning, but you can see more in Nuts magazine every week, so why not get a copy of that instead? Just don't bother trying to find it at the Co-op.The minor pleasures on offer here include a few scenes of ultra-violence perpetuated by our psychotic 'heroes'... at least you can can't accuse these parts of being dull. And, because this film is set in the mid-90's, the attempts at period detail are interesting... from chunky mobile phones to discussing the O J Simpson trial. Such isolated moments however, are overrun by tiresome kn*bs with annoying accents competing with each other to see who can be the biggest idiot. I think I'll declare a draw. And if another movie company decides to do yet ANOTHER version of this oft-told tale, could they do me a personal favour and... forget it? 4/10

There are now three movies on the 1995 Rettendon murders, if I have counted correctly. In chronological order: Essex Boys, The Rise Of The Foot Soldier, and now The Fall Of The Essex Boys. The former is a conventional feature movie (starring Sean Bean), the latter two use a documentary-style approach with first-person narrators. The Fall Of The Essex Boys tries to be the hardest of them all, it almost feels as if the narrator is spitting into your ear ("It didn't take long for the near gear to spread frough Essex like an effing virus.") The actors are all trying a bit to hard to appear tough as nails and their overdone Cockney accents quickly begin to grate. At the same time, it does a bad job at recounting at least a semblance of a plot. All three movies revel in machism and violence. If that's your cuppa, I recommend The Rise Of The Footsoldier, to which The Fall Of The Essex Boys has nothing to add (except maybe more plump-breasted birds).The fact that a fairly conventional triple gangland murder still spawns movies twenty years later tells you what a quiet little place Old Blighty really is.

I thought, Not another film about the Rettendon Murders. They say it is the best British Gangster film in years since Lock Stock. May as well watch it. Sounds great!. What a let down. At first I wasn't sure how long I could listen to the overacted narration of Darren Nichols. Shouting the story line like he was on speed on a football terrace. Then the awful acting started.Most of the scenes were badly cut and shot and the colour correction and lighting was all over the place. Far too many technical distractions for me to sit and enjoy. Also, what was the casting on? Pat Tate was a mountain of a guy! Lets hope this is the last film made about the "Essex Boys" and that British gangster films see a new breed of quality actors and directors in the future.