RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / RocknRolla
RocknRolla

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

RocknRolla (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
59 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:135

Fresh:80

Rotten:55

Average Rating:5.9/10

Consensus: Mixed reviews for Guy Ritchie's return to his London-based cockney wideboy gangster movie roots, but most agree, it's a step in the right direction following two major turkeys.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

Theatrical Release:05-09-2008

Synopsis: Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London's... Guy Ritchie returns to form with this cockney crime caper starring Gerard Butler and Tom Wilkinson. Lenny Cole (Wilkinson) is a bungling London crime boss who calls the shots in London's underworld. We learn all about Lenny from Archie (Mark Strong)--his second in command--who serves as the film's sly narrator. When a wealthy Russian property dealer by the name of Uri (Karel Roden) looks to Lenny for help on a major new deal, Lenny is eager to assist (for a very large fee, of course). Uri agrees to pay, and as a show of faith, he insists that Lenny borrow his "lucky painting." Uri then asks his accountant, Stella (Thandie Newton), to transfer the money to Lenny, but things quickly go awry when two crooks known as Mumbles (Idris Elba) and One Two (Butler) intercept the money before it reaches him. To make matters worse, the lucky painting has mysteriously been stolen, and the number one suspect is a crack-addicted pop star, Johnny Quid, who is presumed dead. Violent hijinks ensue as Lenny desperately tries to locate the painting, Uri calls in some sadistic thugs to recover his money, and Johnny Quid suddenly resurfaces. Men are battered with golf clubs, fed to crawfish, and attacked with machetes, and a surprise twist ending neatly ties up the whole bloody mess. Fans of Ritchie will likely be very pleased to see him return to his SNATCH-style of filmmaking. ROCKNROLLA has the same frenetic, humorous edge as the film that made him famous, though critics might complain that this particular style is starting to look a little dusty. Regardless, ROCKNROLLA features many fine performances, and once you get past the rather slow beginning, it kicks off into an entertaining and amusing romp. [More]

Starring: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven

Starring: Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Jeremy Piven, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Mark Strong, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Toby Kebbell

Director: Guy Ritchie

Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenwriter: Guy Ritchie
Producer: Joel Silver, Guy Ritchie, Susan Downey, Steve Clark-Hall
Composer: Steve Isles
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • SDCC 08: Cast Interviews
    >
    Trailer
    >
    RocknRolla Gerard Butler Interview
    >
1 - 3 of 3

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for RocknRolla

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Great title for a gangster flick. Too bad that writer-director Guy Ritchie only partially realizes the sizzling potential.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
10/10/08
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

The actual plot is so uselessly convoluted you'd get a headache just reading it -- but you might want to pull out the Advil anyway, given Ritchie's reliance on flashy editing, a blasting soundtrack and fetishized gunplay.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
10/10/08
Elizabeth Weitzman
Elizabeth Weitzman
New York Daily News

Ritchie whisks you along on a whirlwind tour, but he's not averse to putting on the brakes long enough to admire some of his favorite attractions.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
10/10/08
Sam Adams
Sam Adams
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Welcome back, Guy. Give our regards to the Missus.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
10/10/08
Jim Slotek
Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies

[Ritchie's] latest effort has the sprawling cast of characters and all the convolutions you'd expect, but none of the wit or joy necessary to distract from its shallowness.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
10/10/08
Alex Markerson
Alex Markerson
E! Online

If, as his critics contend, Ritchie is just making the same movie over and over again, at least he's getting better at it.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
10/10/08
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

It’s a wild ride all the way.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
10/10/08
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Hollywood.com

Ritchie's latest homoerotic guy bonding homicidal spree, might be termed a London mafia musical fueled by global capitalism's shaky economic indicators, going toe to toe with the underground urban economy's crimelords in cutthroat competition. Literally.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
10/09/08
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze

RocknRolla is a well-acted and attitudinal action movie, a return to Ritchie's trademark 'Mockney' style, which takes amusing and twisted turns.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
10/09/08
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today

Perhaps Ritchie has improved over the past 10 years -- or perhaps any movie would look good after the execrable Swept Away and Revolver -- because Ritchie's latest gangland comedy RocknRolla is far and away his best work.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
10/09/08
Noel Murray
Noel Murray
AV Club

It's like a lumpy, overworked, useless 'objet' that someone who doesn't know you very well might give you as a gift, a thing that sits around the house serving no unearthly purpose other than reminding you, none too subtly, that it's completely hollow.

Full Review Source: Salon.com | comment Comment
10/09/08
Stephanie Zacharek
Stephanie Zacharek
Salon.com

RocknRolla is an invigorating, grimly hilarious return to old Ritchie sensibilities, the director mounting a slingshot crime saga with more gravitas and hangdog heroics than previously seen.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
10/09/08
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

RocknRolla marks a pulpy return to form for Ritchie.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
10/09/08
Rafer Guzman
Rafer Guzman
Newsday

You'd think that being married to Madonna, Guy Ritchie would have picked up on the value of occasionally reinventing oneself.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
10/08/08
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

If nothing else, it's two hours of fun, unadulterated entertainment like the kind only Guy Ritchie can deliver ... requires a small amount of patience before its second half pay-off.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
10/08/08
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

The good news about RockNRolla is that it more or less erases the tainted memories of Swept Away, and the nearly incoherent Revolver, and marks Ritchie's return to the form of the 1998 Lock, Stock and its 2000 follow-up Snatch.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/08/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

RocknRolla often feels more like a parody of a Guy Ritchie film than a real movie.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
10/08/08
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

RocknRolla’s a shocker -- a Guy Ritchie film full of wit and feeling.

Full Review Source: New York Press | comment Comment
10/08/08
Armond White
Armond White
New York Press

The hard-man hijinks are straight from the "mockney" gangster playbook (which, to be fair, Ritchie pretty much wrote) and the whole shebang is faux from start to finish, a middle-class fantasy of thug life. But RocknRolla is so relentlessly kinetic

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
10/08/08
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
Film Journal International

Ritchie concocts a crime-jungle demimonde that's organically linked to the real world, and it's a damn fun one to visit.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
10/08/08
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
 
 
101 - 120 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for RocknRolla

December 10, 2009: Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
Robert Downey Jr. can't quite remember why he was on the phone to Guy Ritchie the first time Sherlock Holmes was mentioned, but it was to give him some advice about the trailer... More...

January 27, 2009: Milk Among GLAAD Nominees Opens in new window
"Milk" has been a favorite on the awards circuit this year, and its hot streak has been extended courtesy of the GLAAD Media Awards, where it will compete in the Outstanding... More...

January 26, 2009: RT on DVD: RocknRolla, Mary Poppins, and Zodiac and Bourne Hit Blu-ray
The year is beginning to get good for home video enthusiasts, with a band of notable new titles and Blu-ray releases to get your itchy fingers twitching. Add Guy Ritchie's... More...

January 17, 2009: Ritchie's latest homoerotic guy bonding homicidal spree, might be termed a London mafia musical fueled by global capitalism's shaky economic indicators, going toe to toe with the underground urban economy's crimelords in cutthroat competition. Literally. Opens in new window
More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
32% 32% Terminator Salvation
36% 36% Angels & Demons
95% 95% Star Trek
25% 25% Four Christmases

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
24
  • James Cameron Talks Avatar Sequels Source: Collider.com
6
  • Natalie Portman Will Battle Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Source: Variety
32
  • Marvel Begins Iron Man 2 Viral Campaign Source: Superhero Hype
12
  • Bryce Dallas Howard Talks Spider-Man 4, Terminator, and Twilight Source: ComingSoon.net
45
  • David Lynch Says He Turned Down Return of the Jedi Source: CinemaBlend.com
36
  • Thomas Dolby Starts a Star Wars Rumor Source: Ain't It Cool News
32
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
57
  • The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Headed for IMAX Source: Collider.com
48
  • James Cameron Developing Sci-Fi Film for Fox Source: ComingSoon.net
10
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Avatar Live Up To The Hype?
106
  • Total Recall: Keith David's Best Movies
73
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
51
  • The Gimmicks That Changed Cinema: Part 1
35
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Blind Side Takes the Lead
29
  • Help Us Choose the Community Golden Tomato Award
23
  • The Effects of Where the Wild Things Are
21
  • Critics Consensus: Princess, Invictus Are Certified Fresh
20
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
19
  • Awards Tour: D.C. Film Critics Name Up in the Air as Year's Best
18
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
19
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
51
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
23
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • RocknRolla at Rotten Tomatoes
  • RocknRolla at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.