''Rise of the Footsoldier'' is a British

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

and gangster film franchise written and directed by

Julian Gilbey Julian Gilbey is a British film director, editor and screenwriter. He is known for his work on horror films, also appearing in these as the actor, and performing many other roles on many of those movies. Biography Gilbey began his movie caree ...

, Will Gilbey, Ricci Harnett, Zackary Adler, Andrew Loveday and

Nick Nevern Nick Nevern (born 8 December 1980) is a British actor, screenwriter and director. He is best known for his roles in Eastenders first as Rennie, then as Don , Shameless as Rogowski,and The Hooligan Factory as Dex. Early life Nevern was born an ...

, distributed by

Optimum Releasing StudioCanal Limited, operating as StudioCanal (formerly Optimum Releasing), is the official branch of StudioCanal in the British Isles. The company releases many films, including foreign, anime (mostly Studio Ghibli), independent, art, British, ...

. The franchise and its first two films are based on true events featured in the autobiography of Inter City Firm hooligan turned gangster

Carlton Leach Carlton Leach is an author, occasional actor, and a former criminal. Early life Leach was born in Canning Town. A fan of West Ham United F.C., he became involved in the Inter City Firm, a gang of hooligans who followed the East London club. ...

( Ricci Harnett) before later films focus on the lives of drug dealers Pat Tate (

Craig Fairbrass Craig John Fairbrass (born 15 January 1964) is an English actor, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his roles as Delmar in the thriller film ''Cliffhanger'' (1993), Dan Sullivan in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' (1999–2001) ...

) and Tony Tucker ( Terry Stone) who were gunned down in the Rettendon murders in 1995. The first film ''Rise of the Footsoldier'' released on 7 September 2007 and grossed £220,868, it was the third production from

BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

-nominated director Julian Gilbey, it is based on the autobiography of Leach who had risen from a football hooligan to becoming a bouncer, hired muscle and later part of the

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...

firm of the 1990s and his involvement with Pat Tate and Tony Tucker. The sequel ''Rise of the Footsoldier Part II: Reign of the General'' released in 2015 followed Leach in the aftermath of the murders, whilst ''Rise of the Footsoldier: The Pat Tate Story'' (2017), ''Rise of the Footsoldier: Marbella'' (2019) and ''Rise of the Footsoldier Origins'' (2021) are prequels to the original and do not feature Carlton Leach, but are loosely based upon the lives of Tucker and Tate.

Films

''Rise of the Footsoldier''

Rise of the Footsoldier follows the rise of Carlton Leach from a football hooligan to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals who rampaged their way through Essex in the late eighties and early nineties. It is three decades of his life following him from football hooliganism, to bouncer, his involvement in the criminal aspects of the early 'rave' scene and subsequently becoming a violent criminal. * Ricci Harnett as

as Pat Tate * Roland Manookian as Craig Rolfe * Terry Stone as Tony Tucker * Coralie Rose as Denny *

Neil Maskell Neil Maskell (born 1976) is an English actor, writer and director who is known for his appearances in British crime and horror films such as '' The Football Factory'' and ''Kill List''. Early life Maskell was born in London. As a youth, he pl ...

as Darren Nicholls * Billy Murray as Mickey Steele * Ian Virgo as Jimmy Gerenuk *

Kierston Wareing Kierston Wareing (born 7 January 1976) is a British actress. Her first film role was the lead in Ken Loach's '' It's a Free World...'', followed by a supporting role in Andrea Arnold's ''Fish Tank'' – which won the BAFTA award for ‘Best Bri ...

as Kate Carter * Patrick Regis as Eddie * Lara Belmont as Karen * Emily Beecham as Kelly *

Frank Harper Frank Harper (born 12 December 1962) is an English actor and film producer. He is best known for his "hard man" roles, such as Billy Bright in '' The Football Factory'' (2004) and Dog in ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'' (1998). Career F ...

as Jack Whomes *

Jason Maza Jason Maza (born 24 April 1986) is an English actor, producer, director and screenwriter. Career Maza was accepted to the Central School of Speech and Drama, but at that time, he was already working as an actor so decided not to attend. Althou ...

as Rob * Mark Killeen as Terry *

Dave Legeno David Legeno (12 October 1963 – 2 or 3 July 2014) was a British actor and mixed martial artist. Life and career Legeno was born David Steven Murray in Marylebone, London, England. Legeno's first major film role was in Guy Ritchie's '' ...

as Big John *

Dhaffer L'Abidine Dhafer L'Abidine ( ar, ظافر العابدين, also spelt Dhaffer L'Abidine, Zafer El-Abedin and Dhafer El Abidine; born 26 November 1972) is a Tunisian actor and former professional football player. Biography Dhafer made his acting debut ...

as Emre Baran * Mitchell Lewis as Kemal Baran * Eden Ford as Paul *

George Calil George Calil (born 29 March 1973) is an English actor known for his role in the TV mini-series '' Band of Brothers,'' where he portrayed Sergeant James H. "Mo" Alley, Jr. Early life Calil was born in England in 1973. He is the son of Lebane ...

as Police Killer * Jay Taylor as Chris Wightman * Phillip Weddell as Young Carlton

''Rise of the Footsoldier Part II: Reign of the General''

Full-time crook Carlton Leach (Ricci Hartnett) finds himself in a world of paranoia as he tries to shake off the effects of the Rettendon murders, the real-life clash that left three drug dealers dead * Ricci Harnett as

* Coralie Rose as Denny * Steven Berkoff as Dr. Flint *

Luke Mably Thomas Luke Mably is an English actor. Early life Mably was born in London, England. He attended the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama. Career Mably portrayed White in the thriller ''Exam'' under the direction of Stuart Hazeldine. He had ...

as Shawn *

Jonathan Harden Jonathan Harden (born 1979) is an Irish actor and director. Early life Harden was born in Belfast in 1979, the son of an Irish father and American mother. Career Harden's most notable credits include the roles of Sean Rawlins in the crime drama ...

as Dave * Slaine Kelly as Lucy * Tygo Gernandt as Lars *

Nabil Elouahabi Nabil Elouahabi (born 6 February 1975), often credited as Nabil Elouhabi, is a British- Moroccan actor, known for his role as Tariq Larousi in ''EastEnders'' from 2003 to 2005, as Rashid "Gary" Mahmoon in "Strangers on the Shore" (the 2002 Chris ...

as Demirkan * Big Narstie as Bob * Daniel Adegboyega as Steve * Peter Benedict as Geoff King * Ryan Oliva as Kenny Davis * Chris Brazier as Matthew Taylor * Lockhart Ogilvie as Afanas *

Charlie Heaton Charlie Ross Heaton (born 6 February 1994) is an English actor and musician. He is known for starring as Jonathan Byers in the Netflix science fiction horror series ''Stranger Things'' (2016–present) and for his roles in feature films like '' ...

as Dealer *

as Pat Tate * Terry Stone as Tony Tucker * Roland Manookian as Craig Rolfe

''Rise of the Footsoldier: The Pat Tate Story''

Notorious gangster, Pat Tate, rises through the ranks of Essex's criminal underworld, and battles rival drug dealers, vicious prison inmates and gets double-crossed by drug lord Frank Harris. *

as Pat Tate * Terry Stone as Tony Tucker * Roland Manookian as Craig Rolfe * Billy Murray as Mickey Steele * Josh Myers as Kenny * Ian Virgo as Jimmy Gerenuk *

Jamie Foreman Jamie Foreman (born 25 May 1958) is an English actor best known for his roles as Duke in ''Layer Cake'' (2004) and Bill Sikes in Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'' (2005). Career Foreman played opposite Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke in Gary Oldm ...

as Sam *

Dan Fredenburgh Dan Fredenburgh is a British actor and screenwriter known for ''The Bourne Ultimatum'' (2007), ''Love Actually'' (2003) and the role of John Knightley in the BBC's adaptation of '' Emma'' (2009). Since graduating from The Arts Educational Schoo ...

as Joss * Marcello Walton as Luke *

Shaun Ryder Shaun William George Ryder (born 23 August 1962) is an English singer/songwriter and poet. As lead singer of Happy Mondays, he was a leading figure in the Madchester cultural scene during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1993, he formed Bla ...

as Mad Dog *

Andy Beckwith Andy Beckwith is an English actor. Career He is best known for his role as Errol in Guy Ritchie's '' Snatch'' (2000) and for his portrayal of Rorge in the HBO series '' Game of Thrones'' (2012–2014). He played the role of Clanker, a member of ...

as Cokey *

Larry Lamb Lawrence Douglas Lamb (born 1 October 1947) is an English actor and radio presenter. He played Archie Mitchell in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', Mick Shipman in the BBC comedy series '' Gavin & Stacey'' and Ted Case in the final series ...

as Frank Harris * Eddie Webber as Lewis * Emily Wyatt as Charlotte * Brian Croucher as Prison Governor *

Stephen Marcus Stephen Marcus (born Stephen Mark Scott; 18 June 1962) is a British actor, best known for his role as Nick the Greek in the film ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels''. Career Marcus became an actor in 1984 after three years of training at Ar ...

as Jack Whomes * Simon Cotton as Adrian *

Vicki Michelle Vicki Michelle, (born 14 December 1950) is an English actress, radio presenter, businesswoman, film producer and former model. She is best known for her role as Yvette Carte-Blanche in the BBC television comedy series Allo 'Allo!'' and as ...

as Susan Daley * Paddy Doherty as Paddy (uncredited)

''Rise of the Footsoldier: Marbella''

Fresh out of prison, Pat Tate (Craig Fairbrass) steps right back into his Essex nightclub business. But although the money is good, he can't stop brooding about the man who had him put away. It's not long before he's off to Marbella to find Frank Harris and seek his revenge. But Harris is long dead and the middle man Terry Fisher offers Pat the biggest drug deal of his life. All Pat needs is for his pals Tony and Craig to deliver the cash from Essex to close the deal. But Craig being Craig, turns a simple plane trip to a massive road trip with a stolen VW van and its hippie German owner in tow. All Tony wants is to make it back in time to support his best friend Nigel Benn at the boxing match of his life. But when their cash gets stolen and Pat is threatened by a local firm, Pat comes up with an even more audacious plan and to get them back to England in time for Tony to walk Nigel Benn out to one of history's greatest fights. *

as Pat Tate * Terry Stone as Tony Tucker * Roland Manookian as Craig Rolfe * Josh Myers as Kenny * Andrew Loveday as Terry Fisher * Emily Wyatt as Charlotte *

as Greener * Conor Benn as

Nigel Benn Nigel Gregory Benn (born 22 January 1964) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1996. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990 and the WBC super-middleweight ti ...

* Byron Gibson as Ricky * Franky Lankester as Frankie * Adam Saint as Sidney * Paul Riddell as Detective * Nick Kingsnorth as Klaus *

Jim Rosenthal Jim Rosenthal (born 6 November 1947) is an English sports presenter and commentator. In a long broadcasting career, Rosenthal has presented coverage of many sports including football, rugby, automotive racing, boxing and athletics. He has covere ...

as Himself

''Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins''

Soldier Tony Tucker returns from the Falklands war, a bitter and angry man. He soon makes a name for himself in the Essex underworld with his security business and drug dealing, and after entering a partnership with gangster Bernard O'Mahoney, his life spirals out of control in a cycle of drugs and violence. Things get even worse when he meets notorious hard man Pat Tate and local drug dealer Craig Rolfe, culminating in the Rettendon Range Rover murders of 1995. *

Vinnie Jones Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer. Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chels ...

as Bernard O'Mahoney * Terry Stone as Tony Tucker *

as Pat Tate * Roland Manookian as Craig Rolfe * George Russo as Joey Waller * Josh Myers as Kenny * Keith Allen as Dave Simms *

Bronson Webb Bronson John Webb (born 20 February 1983) is a British actor. Career Webb has had supporting roles in ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' (2005), ''The Dark Knight'' (2008) from the Batman franchise, ''Robin Hood'' (2010), and '' ...

as Kevin Whitaker *

Michelle Collins Michelle Danielle Collins (born 28 May 1962) is an English actress and TV presenter, best known for her roles in the British soap operas ''EastEnders'' and ''Coronation Street''. Collins played Cindy Beale in the BBC soap ''EastEnders'' fro ...

as Mandy Williams * Conor Benn as

* Katie Jarvis as Donna * P.H. Moriarty as Ian Jervis * Rachel Warren as Lucy * Kirsty J.Curtis as DCI Jones * Tom Padley as DS Monroe * David Darby as Police Sgt (extra) * John Junior as ICF Football Hooligan * Sam Gittins as Jacko *

Colin Newell Colin Newell (13 July 1973 – 25 November 2020), known as Heavy D or The Boominator, was a British TV personality. Life He was best known for his roles in '' Storage Hunters'' and ''Celebrity Big Brother''. Newell was a supporter of Arsenal Foot ...

as Tommy Mac * Adam Saint as Sydney Hexell * Billy Murray as Mickey Steele * Eddie Webber as Lewis

Future

The next film in the series titled "Rise of the Footsoldier: Vengeance" is currently set to release in cinemas on September 15th, 2023 and overall is the 6th entry in the series. The movie follows Pat as he embarks on a rampage to avenge his loyal and trusted footsoldier's violent death, venturing beyond his comfort zone of Essex into the dark side of 90s Soho to track down the villain responsible. Set to execute his revenge, Tate will stop at nothing even as the world around him starts to explode. This movie is the first in the series to seemingly not feature Terry Stone and Roland Manookian as Tony Tucker and Craig Rolfe. As of now, it is has not been confirmed whether Vengeance is intended to be the final film in the series.

Reception

TimeOut Film Guide ''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide. In 2012, the London edition becam ...

'' (2011 edition) reviewer David Jenkinson describes ''Rise of the Footsoldier'' as "a repugnant gangland romp in which ruffians get tooled up with axe handles, baseball bats and Stanley knives then knock ten bells out of each other for two hours." After a one-sentence overview, the review concludes that "Leach is then unceremoniously swept aside as the film hastily attempts to give the Rettendon murders a once-over in the scrappy second half." In America, ''Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever'' also disliked it, throwing the film one bone (out of possible four) and dismissing it as "Brit crime flick, based on a true story, that has nothing going for it but violence". Indicating that "Carlton Leach goes from football hooligan in the 1980s to criminal muscle and gangster in the 1990s", the write-up ends with mention of "three murdered drug dealers who were found in rural

Series

A sequel, ''Rise of the Footsoldier Part II: Reign of the General'', was released in December 2015. A prequel titled ''Rise of the Footsoldier: The Pat Tate Story'' was released in 2017. The fourth part is 2019's ''Rise of the Footsoldier: Marbella''. A fifth installment, ''Rise of the Footsoldier: Origins'', was released in 2021.

References

External links

* * {{Rotten Tomatoes, rise-of-the-footsoldier, Rise of the Footsoldier 2007 films British crime films British gangster films British docudrama films Films about drugs Hood films Hooliganism Films directed by Julian Gilbey Gateway Films films 2000s crime drama films Film franchises introduced in 2007 2000s English-language films 2000s American films 2000s British films