What a load of old crap!!!How this title ever became a classic I don't know!I live in Newcastle upon Tyne and this movie was one of the most embarassing things I've ever seen.The gangsters were 'sissy's',the script was pathetic,and I've seen better acting in an episode of BYKER Grove....now that's saying something I think you'll agree! Michael Caine was the only half decent actor in the thing,the rest just added to the 'cringeworthyness' of the whole production.In one particular scene,Michael Caine walks into a betting shop to talk to a villain who he bundles out of the back door(complete with a stuck on sheet of paper labelled 'TOILET'-Very fetching!!)and eventually sticks him with a knife.As he exits,the man at the counter has his eyes shut...only later did I realise that the man was supposed to be blind thus unable to identify Caine....Very handy!!!or is that HAMMY!!Ha Ha! Watch this film out of curiosity,but I can tell you that Newcastle is nothing like it was then..THANK GOD!!

Haven't seen the movie yet, but thought the review was amusing and witty. However, I was looking for some kind of comparison between this and the 1971 original, or at least some mention that the reason Michael Caine is in this one is most likely because he played Carter in the first one (and you'll therefore have to excuse and exempt this role from his promise at the 1999 Golden Globe Awards).