Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Guy Ritchie was surprisingly in top form already at the start of his career. His style of storytelling is very unconventional and different from the "ordinary", but, as you can see from the reviews here, he usually succeeds. The script gives space to a large range of characters who are introduced in detail at the beginning and go on to play a crazy game full of mobsters, double-crosses and money, one that cannot end except in a big screw-up. Everything is perfectly thought out, the scenes flow seamlessly into each other and the climax is a treat; Ritchie is a master at it and there is no one like him. A bit weaker than Snatch, but nobody can take away this film's position among the best crime comedies. (05/28/2012)

Several groups of dimwits chase each other for two hours in an attempt to steal money, drugs and guns in a Tarantino-like gangster film with (attempts at) typically English humour. The full-blown finale is satisfying, but the rest not so much. The forefather of most cheesy indie underground gangster films – so I can understand the high ratings out of sentiment and pioneering, but the bottom line is that it's a total (un)funny mess. That’s it. (11/23/2021)

Very decent. The plot is not overly knotted, but it has such lightly written dialogues and such elegant directing that you just can’t help but have fun. Even the main characters are worth it and will surely satisfy everyone who likes this kind of criminal caricature. In the end, Snatch probably drew me more into the action, but I still had a great time. (04/16/2007)

The incredibly well-thought-out script, which beautifully leads to a typically "Ritchie-esque" ending from the very first scenes, hand in hand with refined execution, forms a unique whole, which is a joy to watch with pure cinematic pleasure. By strict standards, the carefully dosed blend of violence, pitch-black humor, and all sorts of absurdity are filmed at a rapid pace, where detailed camera movements persist, just like the quick editing or low-angle shots of the slowly walking characters. But beware, this is no Michael Bay film! Ritchie has a very distinctive storytelling style in which he somehow omits the main characters and only outlines the diverse panorama of London's underworld. It must be acknowledged that due to the effort to be witty and cool at all costs, sometimes Ritchie slips into gratuitousness, and the plot becomes overly contrived. But who cares if you're rolling on the floor laughing? I certainly don’t. (11/17/2005)

Maybe Ritchie took over the genre of witty gangster films from Tarantino, but both here and especially in Snatch, he proved that Quentin, with his first films, can skate. I'll probably never understand how a screenplay with such characters (the black guy from the bar speaks for everyone), plot (half a million, junkies, machine gun, cop, and a lot more), and directorial gimmicks, with which Guy completely brims, can be invented. Chill soundtrack, the beginning of a new era, and the creation of a cult parody. (02/18/2006)