The SweeneyMovie Reviews

So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 48 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

Iffy for 16+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

75

Movie Nation | Roger Moore
A down-and-dirty genre picture that manages a couple of decent plot twists, a couple of passable car chases and two epic shoot-outs. Read full review
70

Los Angeles Times | Kenneth Turan
Don't look for The Sweeney to win any awards. It's not going to, not even close. But that doesn't stop it from being a briskly involving British crime entertainment of the old school. You've seen the type, and more than once, but the genre still has enough juice to take us for a ride. Read full review
60

The New York Times | Jeannette Catsoulis
Simon Dennis’s photography is glossy and crisp, and a lengthy foot chase — making excellent use of the National Gallery — is inventively choreographed. And if the villains are little more than fireplugs in balaclavas, the violence they provoke is satisfyingly vicious. Read full review
50

San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle
The movie has a certain integrity and creates an interesting atmosphere, largely thanks to the soundtrack, of all things, which gives most moments a dreamy undertone. Read full review
50

New York Post | Kyle Smith
I don’t know how many sex scenes featuring Winstone and Atwell you can handle, but the movie breaches my limit, which is a firm zero. Read full review
50

Chicago Sun-Times |
Somewhere in the laundry list of clichés, there is a movie here that we have already seen and forgotten. Read full review
40

Time Out New York | David Fear
Fans of the gritty, era-defining precinct drama will bristle at how the program's realism has been replaced by a generic Tinseltown U.K. slickness. But regardless of whether you’re a longtime devotee or not, you’ll be left saying, “This is The Sweeney? I’ve been rooked.” Read full review
40

Village Voice |
The Sweeney—a new British police drama—feels a lot like an American-made cop movie circa 1990. Read full review
25

Slant Magazine |
Clichés abound, even in the look of the film, which toggles between post-Ritchie crime-violence burlesque and sleek, Nolanesque faux-grandeur. Read full review
25

The Playlist | Gabe Toro
Up until the very very end (which uncorks a CLASSIC cop cliché that seemed long dead by now), The Sweeney is straight dumb procedural, no chaser. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for The Sweeney on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Brutal but effective crime drama based on '70s UK TV series.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that The Sweeney is an English crime drama about an elite police squad that's based on a 1970s UK TV series (so it doesn't have much of a built-in U.S. audience). There's tons of strong language, with "f--k" used almost constantly, as well as brutal violence (fighting, shooting/guns, blood, car chases, etc.). The main character is having an affair; consequently, there are several sex scenes and sexual innuendoes, though no actual nudity is shown. Characters drink, the main character regularly smokes cigarettes, and it's suggested that a child is about to smoke a cigarette (not shown). It's also worth noting that the characters speak with very strong, hard-edged English accents, which may be difficult for some Americans to follow.

Families can talk about The Sweeney's violence. Does it justify the use of brutal police force to capture criminals? Is it entirely acceptable, or are there questions? Can the ends ever justify the means?
Is it OK to use unorthodox methods to achieve something? Or is it better to follow the rules, even if those rules make it more difficult?
What makes the main character smoke cigarettes? How does the movie portray smoking overall? Drinking?
Do you think viewers need to be familiar with the show that inspired the movie to enjoy it?

The good stuff

Positive messages: The movie's main theme is the conflict between unorthodox methods that get the job done and orthodox methods that may or may not actually hinder the job. It's an interesting idea, but the movie definitely has a preference for the unorthodox methods. This also allows characters to behave badly with few consequences.
Positive role models: Aside from the police officers' bravery and skill, they aren't positive role models. They behave badly and sometimes perform illegal operations in the course of catching criminals. They drink, smoke, swear, engage in adultery, indulge in brutal violence, and sometimes steal.

What to watch for

Violence: The main characters beat up criminals with baseball bats and axe handles, as well as using guns. Characters are shot and killed and stabbed. Some blood is shown. During the many fight scenes, characters brutally punch, pummel, and strangle each another. Bad guys are violently questioned in custody. Car chases and crashes.
Sexy stuff: The main male character has an affair with a married woman, and they have sex (no nudity shown) in several scenes. They also kiss, and the woman grabs the man's crotch while driving. The woman explains that her marriage is failing and that she'll eventually leave her husband, but she's still officially married.
Language: "F--k" is used almost constantly in this movie, in every context, and other language is very strong as well, including "s--t," "bollocks," "prick," "t-ts," "c--t," "ass," "bastard," and "hell." A character uses the middle finger gesture.
Consumerism: Apple computers are shown in the squad's office.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: A child is shown scrounging for a cigarette from the main character's jacket pockets. The main character tells him he's "too young to smoke" (viewers never actually see the child smoking). Characters celebrate with drinks in one scene, and the main character wakes up, presumably hung over, on the couch. The main character and other minor characters are frequently seen smoking cigarettes.

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