Release Date:
01/27/2009
The Skinny: Hustlers, gangsters, rock stars, and Russian billionaires all converge on the streets of London in the twisty and turny ways you'd expect from a Guy Ritchie film. The plot has something to do with a missing painting and several million Euros, but that's just an excuse to get as many cockney balls in the air as possible.
The Good: Unfortunately for Ritchie, he suffers from Tim Burton Syndrome: People complain when he stays in his comfort zone, but then criticize him when he attempts to step out of it. If you can stop worrying about where RocknRolla fits in the Brit director's oeuvre (seriously, stop it) and just enjoy it, you'll find it rewarding. Fast, funny, violent, and stocked with a stellar cast (Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, and Toby Kebbell are all great), it's slick enough to warrant a Blu-Ray gander.
The Bad: Although the flick looks great in HD, the package is pretty scarce when it comes to meaty extras. There's the odd making-of bit, a commentary, even a deleted scene or two, but it's all pretty boring stuff. Maybe Ritchie is getting gunshy about letting too many prying eyes in. Marrying Madonna will do that to you.
Best Extra: "Guy's Town," we guess. But that's only because it's a neat travelogue for London. But like we said, the extras aren't the selling point.
Buy, Rent, or Ignore: This is probably a good purchase because you can never have too many slick crime capers at your disposal. And the movie is really quotable, it just takes a few viewings to work out the accents.
The Good: Unfortunately for Ritchie, he suffers from Tim Burton Syndrome: People complain when he stays in his comfort zone, but then criticize him when he attempts to step out of it. If you can stop worrying about where RocknRolla fits in the Brit director's oeuvre (seriously, stop it) and just enjoy it, you'll find it rewarding. Fast, funny, violent, and stocked with a stellar cast (Gerard Butler, Idris Elba, Tom Wilkinson, Thandie Newton, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, and Toby Kebbell are all great), it's slick enough to warrant a Blu-Ray gander.
The Bad: Although the flick looks great in HD, the package is pretty scarce when it comes to meaty extras. There's the odd making-of bit, a commentary, even a deleted scene or two, but it's all pretty boring stuff. Maybe Ritchie is getting gunshy about letting too many prying eyes in. Marrying Madonna will do that to you.
Best Extra: "Guy's Town," we guess. But that's only because it's a neat travelogue for London. But like we said, the extras aren't the selling point.
Buy, Rent, or Ignore: This is probably a good purchase because you can never have too many slick crime capers at your disposal. And the movie is really quotable, it just takes a few viewings to work out the accents.