"“You can’t fault the film’s entertainment. It doesn’t take itself too seriously - it’s just unadulterated drama”"

When hearing of a crime drama starring Jason Statham and Paddy Considine, it’s fair to say I was caught in two minds.

I couldn’t decide if I was to be treated to a brilliant Considine film, which just happens to be featuring Statham, or an ordinary Statham movie, with a good cameo by Considine, and sadly for filmmaker Elliott Lester, it’s the latter.

It’s about a serial killer called Barry Weiss, otherwise known as the Blitz (Aidan Gillen) targeting solely policemen and women in London in revengeful acts, and it’s down to Detective Sergeant Tom Brant (Statham) and Porter Nash (Considine) to catch the killer.

However, the film is missing a vital ingredient that all good crime dramas need to have: suspense. If you look at some of the better films that focus on a similar matter, like ‘Seven’, for example, or the BBC series ‘Prime Suspect’ – either the audience are in suspense, wondering who the killer may be, or the detectives in charge of the case are unaware of who they are desperately trying to catch, or in an ideal world - both. We need the suspense and surprise surrounding the identity of the killer to keep us guessing, wanting us to reach the end. However, in Blitz, we know who the killer is right from the start, and to make matters worse, so do the police.

Without sufficient evidence the police can’t prosecute Weiss, but they are almost certain he is the suspect right from the word go. For me, this loses an entire element that I see as being fundamental to any good drama.

Another issue I had with the film was that the character of Barry Weiss just wasn’t believable or threatening enough. I think that the idea behind the part was that he wasn’t your stereotypical criminal, and was more light-hearted and jovial – yet with a character like this, in order to believe they have what it takes to become a serial killer, they need to be more sinister, and I just felt that Gillen doesn’t have that murderous streak about him and the part was perhaps a bit too testing.

However, you can’t fault the film’s entertainment. It doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s just unadulterated drama – with various fights, quirky one-liners and it shows off London in a good light.

Although it does feel somewhat dated. I feel that recent London dramas have progressed and modernised to represent a more realistic aspect of London life. Films such as Kidulthood and Attack the Block, despite the latter involving aliens, are a more realistic portrayal of modern day London, and the whole Guy Ritchie cockney scene just feels a little bit 90’s.

But I did enjoy the film; it certainly has its downfalls, but makes up for this with its undemanding approach. Not to mention the impressive performance by the infallible Considine. In an otherwise ordinary feature, Considine stands out as he always does. He just has this aura about him, where he can play any part and bestow the character with so much energy and life. You want to know more about the backgrounds of his characters and despite the part of Porter Nash being quite straightforward and his lack of screen-time, he still manages to make the character seem vulnerable and forlorn, in what is a high-powered, important profession.

But for all of Considine’s effortless brilliance, comes Jason bloody Statham. He’s actually quite a good actor; he just seems to play the same character in every single film I’ve ever seen him in. And please, somebody, give that man a strepsil.