Review of RocknRolla (2008) by Derek H — 20 Jun 2011

I'll be honest. I haven't seen any Guy Ritchie movie since Snatch especially since they've been talked about so much in bad ways... like a corpse being pulled from the woods nearby, mauled, and an eye-witness claiming a tiger roams about and you better stay the hell away if you know what's good for you.

It seems like I took the right risk with the right movie of his. It's as if Guy took 10 groups of a handful of people in to watch Lock Stock, studied them, made a script to match their interests that attract them to a comedic caper, BUT added a different character approach, enough to KEEP interest from Guy's fans and reward them in a very different but recognizable way that attracted them to his films in the first place. Like the Hot Fuzz answer to Shaun of the Dead, or Wanted to Daywatch (Yeah. That feels right).

The real reason why I like this movie so much, is because I can't wait to hear what one character says to another instead of what plot development happens next. Maybe it's good casting, or good plot foundation. Maybe, it's the unexpected "poof" direction and how they work with it, or Mr. Rocknrolla's charisma. Maybe, I've had a couple new tasty grand cru ales (Whew. They're rough. But they taste like sunshine).

And, then the plot development creeps up on you and surprises you. It's old school (as of now) and clever Guy Ritchie. And that's the final touch. It's the main reason Drag Me To Hell was so good. Sam Raimi focused more on working the audience rather than anything else. Now, Guy Ritchie is a worthy apprentice to this position. And damn it, I think he deserves recognition.