The Sweeney is a hard edged British thriller that should capture American audiences with its fast paced action, complex but easy to follow plot and some acting performances that are spot on. Ray Winston plays a gritty, hard edged and no nonsense cop called Regan who is in constant battle with his superiors, but because his team gets results, his over the top style is tolerated. Damian Lewis of Homeland fame plays his straight-laced boss who likes to do things by the book, but who obviously has a lot of hidden admiration for Regan.

Not only does he have to deal with his boss, but like most maverick cop thrillers, he has to handle an interfering Internal Affairs desk jockey who is desperate for Regan’s badge and gun. Despite his obvious connections to the criminal underworld where you have to “think like a criminal to catch one,” the audience will be pulling for Regan in this one.

The night time aerial views of London are quite amazing in this film, and the scenes where the team take on the bad guys are riveting action in some iconic London locations. The Sweeney is a nickname for the Flying Squad, a special force in England tackling major crime and the film is a long time coming following the British hit television series starring John Thaw and Dennis Waterman.

The work of the cinematographer makes London look like a vibrant and sometimes dangerous place, which is exactly what it is. The bad guys are a combination of British and Serbian military types, and one walks away from the movie convinced that the cops are undermanned and under gunned against the assault weapons of the villains.

Supporting roles are played by Hayley Atwell as a female cop and love interest for Regan and Ben Drew as Regan’s sidekick, who will be a name to look for in the future. A lot of credit should also go to the stuntmen in this movie, especially in some of the car chase scenes that are also spectacular.

The Sweeney will be in theaters nationwide on March 1.