Ritchie returns to form with 'RocknRolla'

Director: Guy Ritchie

Cast: Gerard Butler, Gemma Arterton, Thandie Newton, Tom Wilkinson

Cert: 15

Ritchie – Mr Madonna (though he wouldn't thank you for saying it) – has cornered the market in British gangsta movies, a market with diminishing returns.

Not that this one is bad, certainly not as bad as some of his previous films where violence for its own sake took over from strong characters and a dependable storyline … this one is really quite good – ish.

We are prowling the mean streets of London where the local crims, led by arch hood One Two (Butler), combine to take on a Russian mobster for a cut of his recent big-time scam.

Here, Ritchie returns to form with a gritty, street-smart thriller that brings back a clutch of memorable characters in a story that zips along quite nicely.

Such films, however much they vary, retain their sameness in that criminals always do what criminals do: with extreme violence. It is a genre that usually ends up spoofing itself.

But, at least, Ritchie seems to have regained his old confidence.

Star Rating: 4/5