RockNRolla

I wonder how it is possible that such a empty film has received so many fairly enthusiastic responses. It’s boring, about nothing, without interesting characters, with a hundred uninteresting characters, without humour or action. Great, yeah… (17/05/2009)

Wanting this film to be another clone of Ritchie’s first two films is a mistake. It’s much closer to Matthew Vaughn's Layer Cake than to the raucously witty catchphrasers. RocknRolla is less lightweight, but it does have an emphasis on characters and layering an interwoven plot that again pulls towards a "big" ending. His escape from both Luc Besson and Madonna was clearly good for Guy, and even if the whole old gang is somehow nostalgically absent, the choleric Wilkinson, the sneaky Roden, and the darkly charismatic Strong are happy to take you in. Be invited, this "reunion" is worth it. 4 ½. (19/01/2009)

At first glance, still close enough to the original packed and con films, but at second there's only the desire to step in the same river for a third time. It's great that new things are getting entangled in the gangsters with a bunch of angry men, whether it's bigger complications or more surprising twists. Unfortunately, there is such a flash of strange misogyny and aggression all throughout (confirmed many years later in The Gentlemen), which I simply cannot get past. It's a shame, because otherwise Guy Ritchie is still a hero in moments of pure adrenaline, but at other points it's just the opposite. (03/05/2022)

It is said that you cannot enter the same river twice, but Guy Ritchie tried it for the third time and succeeded once again. Only the audience is somewhat more critical this time because repeating a performance is not enough, as usually, something needs to be added to evoke the same enthusiasm. Snatch also had its flaws, but it was one of the first and didn't have much competition, so for many people, it seemed like a revelation, even though it was clearly low-budget, and yet part of the magic also lay in the fact that it was not a mainstream movie. Ritchie had already directed Snatch as a well-known director and with a much bigger budget, which was evident in the presence of the stars and prominent faces. In RocknRolla, Ritchie unleashes another darkly humorous gangster game filled with betrayals, misunderstandings, and numerous characters and motifs. However, if something fails, it is the not-so-prominent actors in the lead roles, except for the veteran Tom Wilkinson, who is skillfully supported by Mark Strong. The members of the wild gang, who were supposed to stand out and attract the attention and favor of the audience, are somewhat generic and interchangeable. That is surprising because Ritchie could have hired practically anyone. I would also believe in Thandie Newton in many different roles, but definitely not as an accountant. I would rather tend to believe that Amy Winehouse will be abstinent for life or Courtney Love as a nun. Although Karel Roden gets quite a lot of screen time, unfortunately, he acts too restrained for my taste. I missed that energy and craziness from the previous two films, although, for example, the chase between the wild gang and the Russian gangsters on the railroad track undoubtedly had charm. Overall, it's a solid 4 stars, noting that it is an exceptional genre film that, in my eyes, has no competition. Overall impression: 85%. (05/11/2012)

A formally utterly unique entry into the contemporary London underworld, blackly reveling in the travails of first-rate characters that is second to none. Right up there with Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, without question the best and most uncompromising Ritchie, whose opening story exposition with Black Strobe's "I am a Man" I could play over and over again. (06/10/2014)

I first met Guy Ritchie through "Sherlock Holmes", but that meeting was worth it. I told myself that I would give him another chance with his previous work and chose "RocknRolla", simply because it had an incredibly strong cast. After all, Guy Ritchie has always been lucky with great actors. He knows how to choose, and who wouldn't want to work with a successful and unique director? "RocknRolla" is a modern gangster film that thrives on its love for London, great performances, but also on dialogues that are not just empty talk, but truly meaningful and sometimes even quite profound conversations or monologues. It has the right drive, it is appropriately vulgar, violent, and not overly harsh. Ritchie adds the necessary dose of humor to it. You probably won't be cutting yourself, but you will smile. I still say that Gerard Butler has great potential for comedy, surprisingly also Mark Strong, who maintains his cool pose, but still has comedic abilities. A superbly balanced film, complemented by excellent visuals that suit the London underworld. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/04/bruce-clint-simon-david-zbouchnuta-v.html (17/02/2013)

The first half is a clean 5 stars because it's the pure essence of great lines, well-written characters, and the absolute pinnacle in the sub-genre of Ritchie crime-comedy. However, in the second half, the creativity slowly fades away, only to "peak" in the finale, which at the very least is bland and flavorless. As long as Ritchie is introducing, getting the action started, and playing out the plots, he is excellent and almost unrivalled. After a while, however, he seems to run out of breath and continues in the vein of a routine underworld crime drama. Occasionally, he does throw in a hell of a line, but gradually he (and the viewer with him) loses interest in the characters. It's a shame, because this could have been a classic like Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. A weaker 4 stars. (01/12/2018)