User reviews

This is one seriously funny movie. I've probably seen it close to 10 times and it hasn't gotten old yet. Guy Ritchie brings us a hilarious look into the London criminal underground in one of his earliest features. The story revolves around four friends who become indebted to the local crime lord after a card game goes horribly wrong. The humor in this movie is sharp and fast-paced. At times, it becomes a little hard to keep up with the thick British accents and the cockney rhyming slang but overall, it doesn't detract from the movie. The movie keeps you guessing as to the outcome when the story becomes complex with multiple lies and double-crosses but the ending satisfies.

This film marks the debuts of two of England's coolest new actors: Jason Statham (who went on to do 'Transporter', among other movies) and Vinnie Jones (now a familiar cinema tough guy). Jones is especially good as Big Chris, debt collector/family man. The majority of the cast aren't common faces in America (aside from Sting) but they all have the charisma to keep the audience interested. Another plus is the film's soundtrack, ranging from reggae to 70's soul. It adds to the movie's already laid-back feel.

Everyone I've seen the movie with enjoys it (once they get past the thick accents, anyway) so I can say with confidence this is a fun movie. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good comedy and I feel this movie's humor hits more often than it misses. I'd recommend giving this movie a chance at least once and I don't think you'd be disappointed.

Guy Ritchie's hip, highly stylized 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' is a truly remarkable film, not only for its appropriately pyrotechnic camera work, but also for its seemingly flawless, puzzle-perfect script/screenplay. While the picture's main focus is on a group of lads who invest money in a high-stakes, rigged card game and lose, the broader story concerns approximately eight different groups of criminals whose paths cross (more> than once, in some cases) during various illegal pursuits: money, guns, drugs, even revenge. The film is quite violent, both on and off screen, but it's also uniformly humorous throughout. It's important to note that the four central characters (a cook, a card sharp, and a couple of guys who sell "discounted" items) are interested only in acquiring the money to pay off their enormous debt; they kill no one. The same applies to the laid-back college boys who "grow copious amounts of ganja".

The cast is comprised of mostly young, veteran, male actors. In fact, the only female in the film doesn't even speak, though she handles a machine gun fairly well. Sting appears briefly in several scenes as a bar-owning father figure. While his secondary performance is solid, as usual, it is also unmemorable. The soundtrack is first-rate, from the 60's hits of James Brown to the contemporary beats of London's underground. The groovy, pulsating music and lyrics are often succinctly synchronized with the action and dialogue in the film, creating a theatrical rhythm that is fairly uncommon in cinema (from any period).

Critics and audiences over the years have often dismissed stylized camera work as pretentious and unnecessary, stating that it detracts from the story, bogs it down, or pads it; however, the film medium has the luxury of actually "displaying" a story for its audience, unlike the written word alone. It's what the medium is all about -- it's VISUAL. Hence, one of the reasons a filmmaker chooses such visual displays is to "brand" his or her work, in the same way as writers like Cummings, Hemingway or Joyce did with their medium. It's hard to imagine a cinema without Hitchcock, Kubrick, or Scorsese to represent it. To this end, Ritchie has taken his first step in establishing his own brand. His energetic, ultra-contemporary camera work incorporates (through a fresh perspective) such devices as slow motion, fast motion, and freeze-frame coupled with narration. It is at times reminiscent of (and actually expands upon) Martin Scorsese's patented visual stylistics and camera movements, like those found in 'Mean Streets' and 'Goodfellas'. But the similarities with Scorsese's work end there.

Critics' endless comparisons of Ritchie's film with the works of Quentin Tarantino and Danny Boyle's 'Trainspotting' stand mostly unwarranted, as these comparisons take away from the inventiveness and originality of 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'. Ritchie's film is a much more involved, complex, layered work than the aforementioned comparisons. While Tarantino's films are very strong on dialogue, screenplay, and editing, they often lack creative camera work and direction. Boyle's 'Trainspotting' does have a resembling "feel" to 'LS&TSB', but aside from its Great Britain origins, there really is no need for comparison. 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' is essential viewing.

I was a total and complete sucker for this film.

If I were to write and direct a movie about gangsters or crime, this would be it. I wouldn't change one damn thing. Not a thing. Everything in this film was, to my eye, perfect - casting, the camerawork, the excellent dialogue ("It's been emotional.")

Now I don't have much to compare this to, and I've heard some criticism that it basically draws quite heavily from older British crime dramas. I've got a bunch of these on my queue to rent, but I doubt you could make a crime film better than this.

This film oozes with style, class, dark humor, plot twists and turns, and doesn't drag one bit. The casting and characterization is perfect, and Ritchie isn't afraid to move the cameras around; no pretense is really made here at "realism" - Ritchie doesn't mask the fact that it's a film and he runs with it.

I really don't think of myself as easily impressed, and I have seen a hell of a lot of films in my time, but this one instantly made my Top 10 after only a single viewing. Yes, I'm raving about it, and while it may not be "spiritually enriching" or contain any deep sociological content (which I actually do look for in films), somehow it still scores as one hell of a film; memorable and entertaining, and stands up well to multiple viewings.

I am a bit dismayed to see some of the marketing of this film comparing it to other things like Quentin Tarantino films or Trainspotting. It really does it a disservice because this film really is its own phenomenon and stands on its own two feet; if anything it is similar to Trainspotting and Tarantino films only because it actually has its own bold style.

Can't recommend it enough.

Guy Ritchie has a skill: the skill to take multi-layered gangster plots, weave them together, and come out with a fabric of the finest quality. I first watched "Snatch", which came after this film. Loved it. Watch this film, which had a similar set-up (the interwoven gangster theme). Loved it. As far as I'm concerned, if Ritchie can maintain this level of creativity, he can keep on making these films until the end of time. His characters are so well scripted and the actors so well chosen, there is a three-dimensional quality to this film, as if you can almost taste the sulfur in the shotgun blasts.

To describe the plot is difficult, unless we choose one character as the hero and the rest as the anti-heroes... but that's hard to do. While certain people seem to be on our side, they're all equally involved in the plot. Kids playing poker, a porn king who cheats at cards, Big Chris the hired thug, the stereotyped black ganja dealer, Barry the Baptist... all great characters.

Another aspect of Ritchie's films is that instead of good vs. evil, he offers us bad versus evil. All the characters do bad things: steal, drink, smoke dope and kill if necessary. But some are simply "bad" (people who would be morally upright in a different setting) and others are "evil" (no moral code at all, black all the way to the core of their heart). This almost non-dichotomy is probably not unique to Ritchie, but is something he excels in. Highest possible recommendation, you nonce!

Best comedy in years, friend turned me on to this hilarious comedy of errors and glad she did. The film is damn near flawless, forces you to pay attention to the twists and turns through it's witty dialogue. Wonderfully photographed with brilliant camerawork but not overdone. Worth several sittings and we could learn alot in Hollywood from this one....

I have watched this film countless times and it is always funny, entertaining and visually appealing. It combines a great story (actually about 8 stories), lush cinematography (a personal must have), and superb dialog. When I first saw it, I thought it was a good rip-off of pulp fiction (a common theme on the message boards), but later you come to realize that this simply is not the case. IMO, it is much more like "The Usual Suspects", another great film.

The visual appeal puts it in my top three list for this (along with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and Das Boot).

There is no weak character - everyone is perfect and fits into place and has their own role in the whole story. But my personal favorite is Rory Breaker. He manages menacing and humorous at the same time in perfect combination.

Favorite lines (from Rory Breaker) "If you hold back anything, I'll kill ya. If you bend the truth or I think your bending the truth, I'll kill ya. If you forget anything I'll kill ya. In fact, you're gonna have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya."

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is about four London class act stiffs who put their money to a test in a card game until things end up horribly wrong as they owe half a million pounds within a week to come up with the cash. The movie is by all means, enjoyable. The characters are all likable and their sense of humour makes the movie tick up a notch. I found myself laughing a couple times in the film to the jokes. All the actors played their parts pretty well, but my favorite character of the film had to go to Big Chris as Vinnie Jones. He was the most entertaining and how he was always correcting his son if he ever made any mistakes was priceless. The dialogue was really well done by Guy Ritchie, as well as his directing. What I noticed about the movie, was how much it was alike to the 1992 film, Reservoir Dogs. Lock, Stock had colorful characters, robbery that ends up bad, unexpected tragedies, good screenplay as well as directing by one person, and a good sense of humour. All those resemble to Reservoir Dogs, it's not even funny. Overall, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a good and entertaining comedy/crime film that shows a good future to Guy Ritchie aka "The Next Quentin Tarantino", to many. Although it's not up to par with Reservoir Dogs, I still enjoyed it and will be paying a lot of attention to Guy Ritchie's films. I recommend it.

Hedeen's Outlook: 8/10 *** B

Bacon (Jason Statham), Eddy (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), and Soap (Dexter Fletcher) are lifelong friends. Eddy is the card player. Bacon, and Tom are hustlers. Soap is straight and legal. They pull together the money to go into Harry 'The Hatchet' big card game. Harry rigs the game and the guys are down £400,000. Harry gives them a week before his muscle Barry the Baptist takes care of them. They decide to rob their drug dealing neighbor. Meanwhile Barry is looking to steal a priceless antique shotgun but it ends up in the hands of the four friends.

This is heavily influenced by Quentin Tarantino and that's not a bad thing. This is Guy Ritchie's full length feature debut. It shows that he has skills but it's not quite as polished as 'Reservoir Dogs'. The accents are quite thick. The comedy doesn't always translate well. However Ritchie has got the style down. This also introduced Jason Statham to the movie world.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels features a lot of local slang and Cockney accents and, while it is far from impossible to comprehend, you will be doing yourself a favour if you follow the dialogue in subtitles. In fact, even the unbearably annoying 'hard-of-hearing' option is welcomed. It follows a group of four very "working class" blokes as they try to help their friend Eddie (Nick Moran) get out of an enormous debt he amassed one night, playing high-roller with a local gang-boss that cheated. The lads resort to illegal ways to get the money, like ripping off their pot-selling next-door neighbours.

This is a really excellent film—entertaining; funny, exciting, and extremely realistic. The style is gorgeous. In fact, I have nothing bad at all to say about it except that it may not be everyone's cup of tea. You also have to be patient with it. That may have been my problem the first time I saw it because I can remember mixing up quite a few people when not paying attention.. Still, the realism of the situations make up for its occasionally slow pace and dialogue-driven plot. For instance, none of these working-class guys know how to handle a gun when they need to, and the result is hilarious. They're not goofy by any means, but they're just normal guys that struggle with the life of crime that they are forced to turn to in order to repay Eddie's debt. Also note the fantastic use of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges. 8/10

For $8 million, this is a fricking monument of 1990's film. The first time I saw it I laughed at most of the jokes and followed the plot with pleasure. That's more than I can say about any number of movies in the 1990's that cost ten times as much to make and starred pricey talent. The editing is clever and cute. The casting is just short of flawless. Of the four principles, only Bacon seemed consistent to me. The minor parts were sometimes spectacular, esp. Big & Little Chris and Barry the Baptist.

There are some legitimate complaints about this movie. The big one is that it doesn't really go anywhere or mean anything. It seems like an awful lot of flash and talent to end up saying nothing about anything. But um… it's not like Lock, Stock is trying to be anything it isn't, so maybe it's not a valid critique after all. Considering how long Tarrantino's influence has been around, it's a little unfair to call Ritchie on imitating him. There are some similarities – large casts, distinct characters, clever dialogue, rapid shifts in narratives from one string to another and shifting in time, and few other things. I think the problem is that years of dumbing down by Hollywood have almost eliminated all these things. The influence is there certainly, but it would not seem as pronounced if there were any other hugely exposed filmmakers in recent memory that put as much emphasis on dialogue and character besides Tarantino.

I haven't watched MTV since the mid-1980's, so the style of Lock Stock and Snatch didn't seem trite to me. Some people I talked to said that the film style was too much like the average car commercial or pop video, which is getting the influence backwards, but I could see how those associations would spoil the experience.

I'm not sure whether to call this a black comedy or a comedy-noir. The story is about four working class lads who have each managed to save up 25,000 pounds to spot their card-shark friend for a high-stakes poker game with "Hatchet" Harry, the local gangster.

Unfortunately, Harry's game is rigged and the four end up owing Harry half a million pounds, with just one week to come up with the cash. What ensues is a set of schemes, counter-schemes, rip-offs, and bad/good luck that demand you pay attention. On several occasions I had to pause the video just to take stock of which gang was planning what.

The final thirty minutes of the film, as the plots all collide and overlap, turn set-piece shoot outs into comedic punchlines. The comedy is driven by exploding our expectations of what are otherwise pretty standard scenes from the film-noir genre.

The acting is strong and the script very tight. Although I am not normally a fan of voice overs, this one informs without spoiling the action. And I liked the use of the slow-motion to disrupt the action and keep me paying attention.

While this film may not be for everyone, if you enjoy a darker pallette, this may be right up your alley.

I've avoided this movie for sometime now. Firstly because friends told me that it was 'Pulp Fiction'-ish (and boy do I hate that movie). Secondly, because its British and although I'm from South East London myself and love British television comedies, I have rarely found British humour well translated onto the big screen. Normally it is toned down to plain slap-stick goofy uncomplicated Inspector Cleuseau type humour tailored for American audiences.

But to find not just British, but straight-faced East London cockney-slang and swear filled humour in a really stylish movie was a revelation.

I have always believed that British humor, especially East London humor is much more sophisicated than American humour. Maybe the reason why American audiences have been more forthcoming with LS&2SB is that despite the accent, they finally 'get it' without having to have it remade into an American version, ala Faulty Towers and Threes company and other British comedies. Yet, I believe Tom Cruise is remaking the movie with an American cast. I suppose for those who just cannot understand English unless its spoken in an American accent. That is really a shame as there are so many diverse accents all around the world and LS&2SB could not have been done in any accent other than cockney.

Still, there are bits only the British will get, like the scene with the three guys pouncing on the traffic warden in the back of the van. That scene had me clutching my sides. Only someone living in London can feel true loathing for a traffic warden, the most hated person in Britain.

Cinemtography was superb. I wont go into who's already done the slow-mo's and stop action argument. It is near impossible to do anything in a movie today that has not already been done. You can either do nothing - or do whatever you can as long as it suits the mood and the flow of the movie, and Guy Ritchie just cannot be faulted. He projects the seedy, thin laned, miserable weathered London, yet with such style that you want to see more. The camera work could not have been better. Just see the projection of Eddy's unsteady, light-headed wooziness as he gets up from the gambling table having lost everything and owing even more. Brilliant.

The Soundtrack was as diverse and yet brilliant as I have ever heard in a movie. I dont want to look like waving the Union Jack here, but this movie shows that the British have a more diverse taste in music. From Reggae, to Ska, to Rock, to Mikis Theodorakis every track played just added to the scene showed.

In short, LS&2SB is a movie that just does not stop for a second, is full of refreshing humour, filmed with style, has a lively soundtrack, some violence thrown in for good measure, and a story with more twists and turns than a bowlfull of spaghetti.

Dont let this movie slip you by. You'll either love it, or hate it.

If this movie was not British, I'd give it an 8/10, but since it is, it gets 9/10 from me.

Favourite dialogue: Rory Breaker: If you hold back anything, I'll kill ya. If you bend the truth or I think your bending the truth, I'll kill ya. If you forget anything I'll kill ya. In fact, you're gonna have to work very hard to stay alive, Nick. Now do you understand everything I've said? Because if you don't, I'll kill ya.

This film's plot starts off a bit convoluted but gradually meshes together like clockwork, with every scene and line having significance. The varying plotlines weave in and out with expert craft, always leaving the audience wondering what will happen next and never alienating them. These are all funny in a subtle, situational way - muted reactions to extraordinary events, chance encounters and thwarted masculine bravado. The characters are exaggerated, the style is frenetic and the environment is gritty and urban. These all amount to an expertly made crime-comedy with a unique British 90s music video feel.

Guy Ritchie has made a superb first movie, and I hope he continues to make more films. All the characters are excellent, and Vinnie Jones and Lenny McLean are both superb. Altogether, an excellent film.

I've probably watched this one about 8 times allready. When it kicks off it keeps you watching till the end.

Fantastic storyline with a major of happenings that twist the story around. Especially the humor is fantastic, played by very well actors. A must see for every movie fanatic.

Pro's

Great humor Fantastic story with much twists in it.

Very nice and different characters Great acting Keeps you watching from the beginning till the end Nice filming from any angle

Con's None

Stop reading and start watching this beauty. You won't be disappointed. If you are disappointed, nah that won't happen.

Never seen a more entertaining gangster film than this one. It elicits belly-laughs with its black humor.

Guy Ritchie lures us deep into an intricate world, a world only belonging to streetwise charmers, merciless debt collectors, dope drug dealers, paranoid marijuana growers, eccentric Afros and inept burglars. In this criminal subculture, they cheat and rob each other.

Such a film as it is, if shot by a less intelligent, would be a disaster. But Guy makes the story full of twists and coincidences and weaves them all into his well-craft web. Elements like guns, knives, corpses and claret are indispensable parts for a gang film. In Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, guns are replaced by air rifles and antic shotguns, knives by kitchen ones and some kicking. And the bullets fly and corpses aren't that bloody since most are off-screen. And I couldn't help laughing at Soap's theory like " guns for show, knives for pro" especially when he soapboxes it with a seriousness on his soft-soap face.

The dialog is recommendable and quotable. The shooting angles, especially close-ups cannot be more suitable for this films. See a label sticker under the sole of Harry? To crown them all, the cliffhanger ending is peerless.

Guy Ritchie's London is where getting shot in the head is easy. Bugai walk around the city in leather jackets and with the appearance of former football players who are extremely hard at knocking out debts. And it's a no brainer that if you and your friends have 100,000 pounds sterling - in no case should you sit down to play poker with a local authority who can, in a fit of anger, extremely ingeniously beat people with half-meter rubber dildos. No brainer, but Eddie (Nick Moran) and his three buddies - Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom (Jason Fleming) and "Soap" (Dexter Fletcher) - no. The guys are in debt. And, in a big way. So now they need bigger guns.

Guy Ritchie has gone beyond mere Tarantino imitation and found his own unique voice in crime pictures, but unfortunately it's an irritating, witless, virulent voice. Sure, this movie is colorful and snazzy, but I think everyone gets snookered by the British accents and machine-gun delivery of the lines to realize that nobody says anything remotely intelligent. A lot of British humor is very good, but there's also a tendency to just have everyone be mean and nasty to each other and pretend that that's somehow the pinnacle of wit. Don't mistake flash for substance.