Disc Reviews

We Still Steal the Old Way (2016) DVD Review

• 12th Apr 2017

2014’s We Still Kill the Old Way was an entertaining and nasty gangster film that pitted young street gang kids against old school gangsters. The acting was ropey throughout but was exciting none the less. It was Harry Brown meets Goodfellas and gained a small cult following becoming one of the best selling DVD releases of 2014. The end of that film not only gave a hint of a sequel in waiting, they also recalled a job they all did in Turin in 1969 with Charlie in which they stole gold bullion. You don’t need to be a film historian to understand that the nod here is to The Italian Job. In the UK films of this ilk have created a whole sub-genre of British gangster films that recall the likes of Villain (1971), or romanticise the myth of the Krays or other East-end gangsters of their generation. Such recent stories in the news as the Hatton Garden safe deposit heist in 2015 (the story of which has been made into a film released this month, The Hatton Garden  Job) only went further to highlight that the old school criminals still operate (it’s yet to be seen if post-Brexit Britain will create the old safe haven for them on the Costa Del Sol – which was where the first film opened). Never the less the title of the new film is a little deceptive, for although the film opens with a heist in which Richie Archer’s gang are caught red handed robbing gold, the rest of the film is set in prison where they are sent. From here on in We Still Steal the Old Way becomes a standard prison drama with old gangsters locked up and facing threats from some puffed up bad guys.

In We Still Steal the Old Way Richie (Ian Ogilvy) is in a relationship with Lizzie (Lysette Anthony) in a carry over from the first film and he and his gang carry out a robbery of gold bullion from an unscrupulous banker, Sir Edward (Julian Glover). Caught red handed they are sent to prison together, but a ruthless old rival, Vic Farrow (Billy Murray) is serving life in another prison and uses threats to get his own way to transfer to the same prison as Richie. Farrow plans deadly revenge against Richie for being responsible for banging him up. Each side use other inmates to square up which is followed by the usual cell stabbings, prison riots and corrupt warders. Despite this, like the previous film’s strong emphasis on violence it remains good humoured and light hearted. And as bad as the acting is in places, as violent as the film is there is something eminently likable about this film and particularly the old school gangster repartee of Richie’s gang. Lysette Anthony as Lizze, Richie’s girl and former ‘Eastenders’ actress Tanya Franks as the prison governor are particularly poor. However, there is one stand out in the acting and that is Billy Murray. Yes, he is playing to type as the sneering villain, but Murray has played the villain on many an occasion, most notably as the bad guy Johnny in ‘Eastenders’ and most notoriously as the corrupt D.S. Beech in ‘The Bill’. Opposite him is another former ‘Bill’ star, Christopher Ellison, another lovable rogue of the old school who had played D.I. Burnside in the long running police soap.

Released on DVD as well as download this film will not rock any worlds and was probably even cheaper to make than the first film but is fun if not taken seriously. Some of the poor acting is off-putting and is the weakest element to both films, even from former ‘Saint’ and 70s heartthrob Ogilvy. Nicky Henson also makes an appearance who, as well as a stage actor is also known as the undead biker in the cult Psychomania (1972). The only extra is a behind the scenes featurette mostly featuring the director of both films, Sacha Bennett.

Chris Hick