On the plus side, RocknRolla isn't as bad as Guy Ritchie's previous movie. But then, 2005's Revolver was completely incoherent Kabbalah-quoting nonsense, whereas RocknRolla returns to Ritchie's safer formula: A well-dressed, big gangster (Tom Wilkinson) threatens a well-dressed group of lovable loser gangsters against a backdrop of contemporary "London," with everybody talking in gruff voices and occasionally, shooting at each other.

Ritchie throws in a couple of twists, including the fact that one of the lovable loser gangsters is gay. The plot also changes focus at the 60-minute mark to focus on Wilkinson's stepson, washed-up junkie rocker Johnny Quid. Toby Kebbell gives a captivating performance as the lost Quid—a character cast in the mold of a young Henry the Fifth—and there's a sequel due, featuring him, next year, which will probably be better.

Perversely, the junkie theme and the homosexuality feel out of place in a Ritchie vehicle, drawing attention to the movie's more formulaic traits. But you still walk out of the theater feeling tougher, and in need of some better clothes, which is really all a Ritchie movie needs to accomplish.