RocknRolla (2008) Blu-ray Review

By Nathan M Rose   X Formly Known as Twitter
2 Min Read
Guy Richie, the director and creator of such cult classics as Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, is back with his latest London underground film, Rocknrolla

I own this town.  But owning is getting expensive for old-school London gangster Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson).  A wealthier foreign mob is moving in with a riverfront property swindle.  A small-timer (Gerard Butler) and his crew think they can play both sides and become big time.  Now add a hard-as-ice accountant (Thandie Newton), a rocker playing dead to boost sales, wannabe music moguls (Jeremy Piven and Chris Bridges), a missing painting and a mad mosh of money and muscle, and you have got a real RocknRolla.   From Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch), comes a fierce and funny caper, a smash-mouth cinematic smackdown of sexthugs & rock'n'roll.

One of the basic premises of the film is that land is a commodity that never goes down in price and is a good investment.  However, given the state of the 2009 economy, the premise of the film actually takes it immediately out of reality.

The characters are likeable enough with Gerald Butler easily coming out as the strongest presence of the film.  The rest of the cast plays their parts well, however, the ensemble cast is not as strong as previous effects by Mr. Richite.  They just do not possess the same chemistry on–screen as previous casting did in other films.

The video itself is pristine with great color saturation and no digital artifacting.  The audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and is crip, sharp, and does not disappoint. The only part of the blu-ray that was lacking was the special features; there was a few documentaries into the making of the film, a deleted scene, and a digital copy of the film to take with you on the rode.

One could easily argue that Warner Bros. is simply waiting to see how sales are on the normal edition Blu-ray before releasing a Blu-ray with a full blown set of special features for the film on a second disk and the addition of BD Live.

All in all Rock'n'Rolla is a great escape into the London underground mob scene, however, it really only is  a taste of the true work Guy Richie can really accomplish; for this you need to watch such classics as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.

Until then you will just be a Rock'n'Rolla.
Cast:
Directed By:
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 114 minutes
Distributed By: Dark Castle Entertainment

Stream from Amazon Prime
Watch
Purchase RocknRolla from the iTunes store.
Watch
Watch
Watch
Stream on Vudu / Fandango
Watch

For more information about RocknRolla visit the FlickDirect Movie Database. For more reviews by Nathan M Rose please click here.

RocknRolla images are courtesy of Dark Castle Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.


FlickDirect, Nathan M Rose

Nathan M Rose is the CEO of FlickDirect Inc. He's is a movie historian, critic, enthusiast, and award-winning podcaster with extensive industry knowledge recognized by news organizations. Nathan believes we might be living in a "Matrix"-like simulation, adding an intriguing perspective to his expertise. Follow Nathan's movie journey on his Letterboxd account.




SPONSORED LINKS

Today's Digital HD DealsView All

Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
Justice League Dark: Apokolips War
WAS: $14.99
NOW: $12.99
Stronger
Stronger
WAS: $14.99
NOW: $9.99
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle in Time
WAS: $19.99
NOW: $4.99


Latest ReviewsView All

The Beekeeper
Physical Media: 4K UHD Review
Apr 23, 2024 EST
First Blood | Wal-Mart Exclusive SteelBook
Physical Media: 4K UHD Review
Apr 08, 2024 EST
Night Swim
Physical Media: Blu-ray Review
Apr 09, 2024 EST