This really took me by surprise. It kind of is ID, and kind of isn't. It's Shadwell (and I really love how that environment has been brought up to date - owned by Russian billionaire, season tickets cost too much etc), there's some characters we know and love (Gumbo!), but it's not John undercover now (though he does have a presence) but Mohammed, and we get deep into some politics that are way beyond the usual terrace shenanigans. I certainly didn't expect this film to take us into the area of extreme street politics, but then remember where the original film left us at the end, with John's "is he, isn't he" moment, and in a way this film picks up where the first one left off. And we get another big question mark at the end of this one too, quite cleverly. The screenwriter is being quite cheeky taking us into this territory (same guy who wrote the first one), but I think he has earned the right and largely gets away with it. There were some moments that really unnerved me, it can get quite close to the bone,but I don't want to do any spoilers here. Just enough to say that all is not as it seems. I know some people who love the original just want more of the same served up, like Green Street 2 or something, but then they probably would've complained if all they got was the same story again. Know what, ID was slagged off when it first came out and is now acknowledged, 20 years later, as a cult classic. I've got a sneaking suspicion the same will happen with this film. I was a bit bewildered when I first watched it, but the story stays with me and I keep thinking back to it, and will definitely have another look when the DVD comes out.
Review of ID2: Shadwell Army
