RocknRolla (2008)

Whitters from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 09/09/2008

This film wouldn't be too bad if we hadn't seen it all before, and done a whole lot better. The characters are one dimensional, the script is like listening to someone read the Cockney Rhyming Slang dictionary out loud and the story is a bit thin with some very loose ends. I felt the plot was spoon fed to the audience, which is necessary for Amiericans but Mr Ritchie should really give his English audience a bit more credit.

20 minutes into the film I was still forcing myself to enjoy it, but by that point the script had just become laughable and I started to mock the mockney. They kept forcing this notion of a 'RocknRolla' into the plot but it just felt like such a mad up piece of crap that you couldn't take any of it seriously. I left disappointed. More so that they plan on making a sequel with the same characters. Why oh why would you bother!?

  9 out of 9 people found this review helpful

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twaito from Edinburgh [Highly rated reviewer] , 03/09/2008

All in all not a bad movie, but just not that good a movie either. As you'd expect it is as the tag line suggests 'another piece of the action' from London gangster types. I think this film suffers from being certified 15, maybe to get a bigger box office. Unfortunately, that makes the violence tamer than you'd expect from the level of gangsters we're supposed to be dealing with and whilst the characters are believable and easy to warm to in some cases, the dialogue isn't as sharp as Losk stock, or Snatch and I only laughed out loud 3 times in the whole movie.

BUtler looks suitably menacing, but doesn't get a lot to do, maybe more will come in the next movie. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Toby Bebbel (the mentally disabled brother from Dead Man's Shoes) evolution from junkie rock star to full rocknrolla. Maybe that will make the next film the real rocknrolla.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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Rbsman from Blackburn [Highly rated reviewer] , 14/09/2008

Must admit I'm not a great fan of Guy Ritchie. Lock Stock was good, couldn't be bothered with Snatch and the rest of his films received such bad reviews I didn't bother. So perhaps not having the baggage of seeing all his films made me really enjoy this. And I did.

Some people complain about it being a 15 certificate and the violence has been watered down...is that a bad thing? The 'pencil' attack is graphic in what you don't see. As far as the characters go I really liked them. Gerard Butler was a great cheeky chappy and Mark Strong was brilliant as Archie. But the best of the lot was Tom Wilkinson...a great actor in any film. Funny, sadistic and plays a fantastic great drunk!

There are some laugh out loud moments, especially from Gerard and Tom Hardy along with some more surreal drug induced ramblings but for me...4 stars. Watch, enjoy and see the sequel because there will be one.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

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PaulaWestwood from Ashton-Under-Lyne [Highly rated reviewer] , 15/09/2008

Following on from what you would expect from a Ritchie film this employes regular East end boi's in a regular East End Bois film. This time Russian looks to buy big in London (anyone notice the extremely uncanny Abramovich look and football link) and has to deal with the local London Mr big to oil the wheels, but in the process gets (mmmm its getting thinner) ripped off que internal rifts big Russian minders and the odd obligatory shoot out yes there are few real surprises in what is still quite an entertaining film with an excellent last 20 minutes, it just takes a bus route really to get there. All in all we like Ritchie, we love his characters, and we like his films, but if you were expecting the Uzi the previews promise in this, you just about get a spud gun. Definately worth a watch all the same.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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PaulaWestwood from Ashton-Under-Lyne [Highly rated reviewer] , 15/09/2008

Following on from what you would expect from a Ritchie film this employes regular East end boi's in a regular East End Bois film. This time Russian looks to buy big in London (anyone notice the extremely uncanny Abramovich look and football link) and has to deal with the local London Mr big to oil the wheels, but in the process gets (mmmm its getting thinner) ripped off que internal rifts big Russian minders and the odd obligatory shoot out yes there are few real surprises in what is still quite an entertaining film with an excellent last 20 minutes, it just takes a bus route really to get there. All in all we like Ritchie, we love his characters, and we like his films, but if you were expecting the Uzi the previews promise in this, you just about get a spud gun. Definately worth a watch all the same.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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twaito from Edinburgh [Highly rated reviewer] , 03/09/2008

All in all not a bad movie, but just not that good a movie either. As you'd expect it is as the tag line suggests 'another piece of the action' from London gangster types. I think this film suffers from being certified 15, maybe to get a bigger box office. Unfortunately, that makes the violence tamer than you'd expect from the level of gangsters we're supposed to be dealing with and whilst the characters are believable and easy to warm to in some cases, the dialogue isn't as sharp as Losk stock, or Snatch and I only laughed out loud 3 times in the whole movie.

BUtler looks suitably menacing, but doesn't get a lot to do, maybe more will come in the next movie. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing Toby Bebbel (the mentally disabled brother from Dead Man's Shoes) evolution from junkie rock star to full rocknrolla. Maybe that will make the next film the real rocknrolla.

  5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

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