“RocknRolla”

Running time: 114 minutes

Rating: R

“RocknRolla” is writer/director Guy Ritchie’s latest Cockney Caper flick, in the same vein as “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch.”

Like the other two films, you can expect loads of stylized violence, a maze of plots and counterplots, interweaving story lines, double-crosses and shady characters spouting darkly comic dialogue.

It’s a formula that’s served Ritchie well, so it’s great to see him back in good form, considering “Swept Away” and “Revolver” weren’t so great.

“RocknRolla” stars Gerard Butler as One Two, a two-bit con who wants to make a big score in London’s real-estate game. So, he gets a loan from a shady character named Lenny (Tom Wilkinson), who plans to double-cross One Two so that he not only gets the property for himself, he can still muscle One Two for the loan repayment (at an exorbitant interest rate, of course).

Throw into the mix a couple of American rock promoters (Jeremy Piven and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) hunting for a stolen painting; a wasted punk rocker (Toby Kebbell), who’s the stepson of Lenny; a Russian mobster; and a few other colourful characters who all seem to have some connection to everyone else, and things start to get really interesting.

The action sequences are sweet. Not only are they shot and edited well, they’re also pretty darned creative: Golf clubs vs. machine guns anyone?

Yes. And it’s freaking cool to behold.

“RocknRolla” isn’t “Citizen Kane,” but it’s a wonderful, entertaining Guilty Pleasure for anyone who loves a great caper movie.

GRADE: A

(c) 2008 King Features Synd., Inc.