Soccer hooligans -- or football hooligans, as they're known outside the U.S. -- are an almost mythical form of miscreant, whose tendencies toward stampeding and fisticuffs are world-renowned. Fueled by a sports fanaticism most Americans can't fathom, these English ruffians prove to be an intriguing variation on such cinematic thuggish archetypes as gangsters, gang-bangers, or other violence-prone psychopaths. Unfortunately, none of the characters in Green Street Hooligans approaches the intimidation factor casually wielded by someone like Robert Carlyle's Begbie in Trainspotting, who'd just as soon bash a skull with his pint glass as drink from it. Lexi Alexander's debut tiptoes up to the brutality its viewers expect, but crucially soft-pedals a couple key characters, leaving the film less convincing than it should be. For starters, the rules of this combat are a little unclear -- the brawlers gleefully smash each other with glass ash trays and two-by-fours, but no one ever thinks to bring a knife, despite burning with mortal hatred for each other. Alexander even presents these folks as battlefield warriors, charging each other in the well-worn Braveheart style, with the opposing field generals going mano a mano amidst the ruckus. This simplistic approach to the material extends to Elijah Wood's sporadic narration about his immersion in the culture, not to mention some really clichéd dialogue, particularly evident in the scene between Wood's character and his estranged father. Wood and Charlie Hunnam do connect with their portrayals, but the script fails them by going in rather pedestrian directions, and getting caught up in distracting subplots and questionable character motivations. There's no doubt Green Street Hooligans demonstrates some vital filmmaking by hyphenate newcomer Alexander, but she needs more seasoning to translate her talents into a great film.