Guy Ritchie's latest gangster film failed to impress critics, with one labelling it his "third turkey in a row".

During the build-up to last night's world premiere of RocknRolla, the British director's movie was being seen as his make-or-break effort after Swept Away and Revolver.

Set in London's criminal underworld and featuring property scams and Russian mobsters, the film stars Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson and Thandie Newton.

But first night reviews suggest it did not hit the mark.

The Times described RocknRolla as a "standard-issue Ritchie thug movie" but praised the film's action scenes to give it a two-star rating.

We said: "The film is basically another mad trawl through London's seedy underworld with mavericks and crack addicts around every corner.

"The film hurtles propulsively on and if there is any vicarious pleasure to be had it's in the high-octane battery of car chases, punch-ups and bungled heists."

James Christopher's review said homo-eroticism throughout the film was a "bemusing twist" and levelled criticism at the plot's "familiar" concept and characters.

According to the Daily Mail, the characters were identical in all but name to those of his previous gangster capers such as Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Revolver, and the "convoluted" plot was "horribly familiar".

Its "dated air" was brought to the attention of the audience when the opening voice-over claimed that London property prices were going up and up.

"This is Guy Ritchie's third turkey in a row, after Swept Away and Revolver," the paper's review said. "It is a pitiful attempt to recapture the success of his first two movies, Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch."

Ritchie, 39, revealed at the premiere in London that he has already written the sequel to RocknRolla.

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