Review: After a down period, director Guy Ritchie is back in top form with a comedic action-crime story that comes out shooting in style.

Story: Dealing with a bunch of small-time thugs, shady London mobsters, Russian millionaires, junkie rock stars and assorted other members of the criminal underground, director Guy Ritchie has thankfully returned to the beat he knows best – even if the accents are a bit thick and the action often confusing. In this version of contemporary London, it’s real estate – and not drugs – that is attracting all brands of criminal with the dangling carrot of a multi-million dollar deal. Into this mix comes the scrappy One-Two (Gerard Butler) and his cohorts Mumbles (Idris Elba) and Handsome Bob (Tom Hardy), who manage to get a loan from the super-crooked, old-timey crime boss Lenny Cole (Tom Wilkinson). He intends to nab the property for himself and demands the money owed him anyway. In order to get the money repaid, One-Two hooks up with an attractive but shifty accountant (Thandie Newton), who works for a shady rich Russian dude. This is just the beginning, as the plot thickens and the atmosphere gets loaded with all sorts of interweaving characters with distinct motivations of their own to get a piece of the pie in an ever-changing London.

Acting: Guy Ritchie knows how to cast these things, and RocknRolla is no exception – starting with Wilkinson, almost recognizable, as the vicious oily mob boss who knows how to work the system to get just what he wants. Wilkinson is deliciously fun to watch. So is Toby Kebbell, as Lenny’s loopy and off-the-wall stepson – a junkie rock star named Johnny Quid, who turns out to have the key to all the money. Butler is strong as the macho small-time thug out to conquer London real estate but gets stuck in a silly subplot when his partner (Hardy) suddenly admits he’s gay and has feelings for him. Mark Strong, also impressive in the recently released Body of Lies, is terrific as Lenny’s right-hand man Archie, a guy who knows how these operations work. Karel Roden has nice moments as the billionaire Russian, but we wished there was more to Newton’s role as she simply turns up every now and then without adding much to the proceedings. Elba (The Wire) is great as Mumbles, One-Two’s best buddy and other partner in crime. And just for fun a couple of Americans get thrown into the stew: Jeremy Piven and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, playing rock promoters who are trying to make it in the London music biz.

Direction: Guy Ritchie has had a rough patch lately, what with the dreadful Swept Away and the mind bogglingly numbness of Revolver, which sat on the shelf for two years before finally getting a nominal U.S. release. It’s no wonder the director wanted to return to the Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch turf in which he made his name. With RocknRolla, he’s done just that, and the results are encouraging. This flick is pure Guy Ritchie, with his patented penchant for colorful low-life characters, dense crime plotlines and a gang that can’t seem to shoot straight. Even though there are characters being dropped in at a steady pace, and lots of stuff always going on, Guy Ritchie manages to keep it all humming and visually arresting. Another big plus is the soundtrack, which cranks. Overall, RocknRolla really rocks and totally delivers. It’s a wild ride all the way. A promised sequel on the end credits can’t come too soon.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 stars.

Review: HSM3 is tween dream on the big screen, topping them all with one dazzling sequence after another. The boys – and the girls – are back in style.

Story: What story? Does it really matter? Basically, the Wildcats have graduated to the big screen for their senior year with the daunting task of – guess what? – putting on a big show. In addition to performance anxiety, the singing and dancing kids must also figure out what to wear and who to bring to the prom. Troy (Zac Efron) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), in particular, have to figure out what is to become of their romance when Gaby goes to Stanford, while Troy stays in New Mexico. Adding to the drama is the fact representatives from Julliard will be in attendance at the show and their approval could be just the showbiz break these young talents are looking for. All of this interstitial storytelling is just an excuse to launch into one of the 10 big musical numbers written for this theatrical continuation of the enormously successful Emmy-winning Disney Channel TV films, and although the songs seem to have come out of the same cookie cutter mold, the production values make this HSM an eye-popping celebration of song and dance that’s pure entertainment from start to finish.

Acting: This attractive and energetic young cast have used the two previous films to grow into their roles and win instant audience recognition. It’s in the expanded and more demanding musical numbers that everyone really gets their turn in the sun, and no one disappoints. Zac Efron channels Justin Timberlake with his athletic and singular “Scream,” a breakdance against the walls of the school’s hallway that’s pretty damn thrilling to watch. It’s the hip-hop equivalent of Fred Astaire’s classic dance on the ceiling in 1950’s Royal Wedding. Equally effective is his intense auto junkyard number with Corbin Bleu (returning as Chad), “The Boys Are Back,” a lively paean to Michael Jackson’s ’80s videos like “Beat It.” Hudgens does nicely with the largely forgettable ballads “Walk Away” and “Right Here Right Now” (with Efron). Lucas Grabeel, back as Ryan, goes all top hat and tails on us in the Broadway inspired “I Want It All” – opposite diva-like Sharpay, played with conniving authority once again by Ashley Tisdale. Monique Coleman as Taylor is right at home here as well along with the other veteran of the earlier films Olesya Rulin as Kelsi. Assuming the series goes on after graduation, a new generation of HSM performers will be required and that is the apparent reason for the generous screen time given to younger, newer cast members: Matt Prokop, Justin Martin and young British import Jemma McKenzie-Brown.

Direction: With director/choreographer Kenny Ortega at the helm, the HSM concept has been opened up to fill the expanse of the big screen. At its core, the musical numbers are much, MUCH larger and grandiose than they ever were in the TV films. Ortega and his team have used bright vivid Technicolor images reminiscent of the heyday of ’50s Hollywood musicals and married it to a contemporary approach. Still, he seems to be channeling in some ways the elaborate Busby Berkeley movie musicals of the ’30s, particularly in Grabeel’s set pieces. Clearly, Ortega ‘gets it’ and knows what style and verve a musical like this needs – no matter how young the intended audience. Having the luxury of directing most of his primary cast in the two previous HSM TV outings, he takes that small-screen energy and lets it explode in all its widescreen glory.

Bottom Line: Hollywood.com rated this film 3 1/2 stars.