The series started out with a violent, cruel attitude that slowly lost its mojo as the seasons progressed, primarily because the boss, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) got soft. This feature picks up in Birmingham, 1940, when WWII threatens the United Kingdom. Murphy returns as a man who’s tried to straighten out his life, when he finds his son (Barry Keoghan) is wreaking havoc back home that may have dire results for the whole country. Eventually, they encounter each other, but it doesn’t really matter. The things that made the series so compelling have faded: The brutal fights and operatic emotions have been tamped down. Everything has gone dark and dramatic with potent cinematography to match. There’s lots of brooding monologues without much hard action to back it up. Even the final climax lacks punch. Creator Stephen Grqaham (who also returns on screen) and director Tom Harper are back, but their desire to end the franchise on a grand note didn’t pack the slashing impact of the series. 
(2.5 / 5)
