Whenever I think of Guy Ritchie’s previous films like “Snatch” or “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” I often confuse the two, as I can barely name off a few key differences. One of the movies had something to do with a diamond, and the other a poker match, but it’s hard to distinguish which was which. They feel like the same movie.
And now “RocknRolla,” Ritchie’s latest, arrives like the long lost triplet of “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.” How is it so similar? It uses the same motifs that the previous two were wrapped up in: a zany team of British crooks trying to escape the wrath of mob bosses while stealing, exchanging witty dialogue, facing hilariously impossible situations and getting into fights with some bad guys that won’t ever die. Remember in “Snatch,” when Bullet Tooth Tony was shot six times and still kept on attacking his assailants? Two bad guys in “RocknRolla” derive from the same mutant cesspool.
Gerard Butler stars as One-Two, a tough guy hired to sabotage a crooked real-estate scam. Thandie Newton stars as the accountant Stella, who hires One-Two to steal millions of pounds when it is transferred from Russian gangsters to British gangsters. Tom Wilkinson plays Lenny, the underworld boss of London. Because the Russians have not come through with the money, Lenny suspects them of pulling something tricky. At the same time, the Russians believe that Lenny had something to do with the robberies. Meanwhile, Lenny’s lucky painting borrowed from the Russians goes missing, and no deal will go through until he gives it back. Rumor has it that rock star Johnny Quid stole the painting, but the newspapers are indicating Johnny is dead.
The convoluted plot makes very little sense, but that doesn’t mean taking notes is required to fully enjoy this movie. It thrives on kinetic energy. There is not a whole lot here in terms of substance, and there is not a whole lot to reflect upon afterwards. But experiencing the movie itself is a rush. The quick cuts, loud rock music and breakneck speed are all so well executed that “RocknRolla” entertains the same way that a roller coaster ride entertains. It provides a rush, but that’s about all it does. “RocknRolla” works purely on the merit of its fun factor; it puts style over substance. Like “Snatch” and “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” style is all it has to offer. To stretch an entire fight sequence between One-Two and the near-immortal bad guys beyond the point of sanity is an achievement all on its own.
RocknRolla is rated R for pervasive language, violence, drug use and brief sexuality.
