Where do I start...acting is awful, bordering on on parody. Hard men who don't see bad things happening to them. It's 1985 gangster wonderland. I hope the idiots who made this got forced to watch Michael Mann and Tarantino films for a month. Amateur at best, swearing is pathetic. A poor film of a poorer subject. AVOID.

The original Rise was told from Carlton Leach's perspective, 'Rise II' doesn't appear to have had a lot of input from Carlton himself as far as story goes it's pretty thin on plot. The acting varies wildly from good (surprisingly, Craig Fairbrass and solid as per from Ricci Harnett) to downright awful - Steven Berkoff, his days have been numbered for some time. Terry Stone is forgiven as although normally the worst of the worst, his performance as Tony Tucker in the original 'Rise', even with the laughable wig, was outstanding. Here he is seen in flashback and it's just about okay. As I mentioned, the plot is thin but at least most of the actors tried to make the best of what they had to work with, in the end it's a by-the- numbers film that barely keeps you interested and then only really by Fairbrass and Harnett. I didn't fall asleep so it must of had something.

The conclusion to the first film meant that a remake would be pointless.We are over the 90's, and the point of the original was to document the eventual demise of big time drug dealers.My dealer at the time got done for 3,000 pills, 5 years in nick, but I never saw any violence. He's a painter and decorator now, he enjoyed making people happy selling happy pills and he was nothing like the big time drug dealers portrayed in the media, he would chill out at my parties, I knew he was 'something', but he wasn't a thug, let's paint it real.

Watched this last night. Wasn't sure as to how it would be, as sequels can often be something of a disappointment. However, after a wee bit of a slow start, it got going and it focused on Leach's life, post the murder of his friends. It wasn't afraid to show the less glamorous side of crime and that it's not all that it's dressed up to be, by some. Good to see Leach's efforts to reconnect with his family. Good performance from Ricci Harnett and I also wasn't aware that he had lots of input behind the scenes. Obviously something of a labour or love for him.It's also been left open for a third installment. I wouldn't mind seeing that, if it comes to fruition. :)