RocknRolla

Guy Ritchie's latest venture into the gangster genre feels a bit like déjà vu, doesn't it? I mean, the man's got a knack for weaving tales of theft and deception, but it's starting to feel a tad repetitive after he knocked it out of the park with two stellar flicks in the same vein.

Remember "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels"? That was a riot, mainly because of the quirky characters Ritchie cooked up. Then came "Snatch," which had its own brand of hilarity. But now, with "RocknRolla," it's like he's taken a dash of both those films and whipped up another batch. The characters are intriguing, sure, but the plot feels like it's been recycled, and things can get a bit messy along the way. Plus, the vibe's a tad darker this time, and the laughs aren't as frequent.

But hey, let's give credit where it's due. Technically speaking, the movie's still top-notch. And can we talk about the cast? Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Tom Wilkinson, Gerard Butler-talk about a lineup! Butler, especially, shines in those dance scenes with Thandie Newton and Tom Hardy.

So, yeah, "RocknRolla" is a decent flick, no denying that. It's just that the whole gangster shtick feels a bit worn out by now, you know?

At the turn of the century, Guy Ritchie established his reputation with the one-two punch of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch". While bearing the unmistakable influence of Quentin Tarantino, these two crime comedies nevertheless stood out among the scores of imitators.

Branching out, Ritchie next tried something different. Unfortunately, his remake of Lina Wertmüller's "Swept Away" (starring his then-wife Madonna) turned out to be a disaster, both artistically & financially. His follow-up, "Revolver", played more to Ritchie's strengths but it was ultimately sunk by some heady philosophical underpinnings.

Finally, in 2008, Ritchie returned to his bread & butter with "RockNRolla". This tale of high- and low-class gangsters might not have quite the same spark as his earlier efforts but it definitely represented a welcome return to form.

All of the usual ingredients are here: a cleverly constructed plot, visual panache, well-chosen tunes and, perhaps most importantly, a stellar ensemble cast. It's an embarrassment of riches with the likes of Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Tom Wilkinson and so on. Of course, it helps that they're delivering Ritchie's often quotable dialogue.

Overall, the screenplay is characteristically convoluted with plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I won't even bother to try to synopsize the plot other than to say that it involves a lucrative real estate deal that goes awry with potentially deadly consequences. Luckily, the script moves at a brisk pace so its complexities never wear on the viewer.

As I alluded to earlier, the movie is a visual and aural treat. The visuals are consistently vibrant and I have to appreciate some of the soundtrack's deep cuts like "Have Love, Will Travel" by the Sonics and "Funnel of Love" by Wanda Jackson.

Ultimately, "RockNRolla" may not qualify as top tier Guy Ritchie but it's definitely worth watching. Interestingly, Ritchie teased a sequel at the end of the movie but it has yet to materialize. Count me in as someone who'd like to see that happen someday.

Like other reviewers, I find Guy Ritchie very watchable. His cockney criminals are a delight to watch, all of them killing a human as easily as they might a fly and delivering punchlines all the way. Rirchie's screenplay brims with action and razor sharp dialogue for the first hour, then - very sadly - it loses direction.

The blueprint for ROCKNROLLA was SNATCH (UK, 2000), probably Ritchie's best, most rounded effort, with characters that pop out of the screen.

ROCKNROLLA does not quite match that highly original early Ritchie flick, it is unfortunately too long by easily 20 minutes, and its characters by and large do not stand out as much.

That said, Butler and Hardy make unlikely lovers who double up as criminals, Butler and Thandie have the briefest, least passionate love scene I have watched in some time, a real damp squib, and Tom Wilkinson as the fiendish Lenny Cole, Idris Elba as the ever supportive sidekick to Butler, and Mark Strong as the irrepressible Archy really steal the show.

Great cinematography, action sequences by David Higgs.

I enjoy Guy Ritchie films and this was good but not to the level of some of his other films but Guy does seem to be able to pick a good cast

RocknRolla seems to be the beginning of the resurrection of Guy Ritchie's career. Not to anyone's surprise he does this with what he has been so potent with throughout his career; a British gangster film. If you've had any experience with Ritchie movies you know exactly what you're getting into here, a comedic thriller. This of course may seem problematic, in Ritchie's case it is not.

The writing and dialog is fast paced and quite witty and entertaining to watch. The movie as a whole maybe be a bit of a head scratcher here and there but the pay off is good and the idea is a bit of a parody of itself which is what makes this film so fun.

What Ritchie accomplishes though, in the same way he has with his past successful productions is putting together an extremely diverse and yet correlating cast. This starts with the lead man in Gerard Butler whose notoriety has steadily risen largely through his performances of comical caricatures (not an insult). With RocknRolla Butler seems to have found a role perfect for his appeal and charm he brings to the screen. This is largely because of a witty script and great, fun performances all around.

Then of course there is Mark Strong who until this year was largely a total unknown, at least in the American mainstream. While Gerard Butler may have found a genre he is most strongly suited for, Mark Strong could certainly use this along with Body of Lies to launch to the very least a respectable acting career. His posture, range and ability to change tone and style subtly not only between films but within them is something that should be and surely will be recognized.