Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

A wonderful story from the underworld. I haven't had this much fun with a film in a long time, not since I watched, to the sound of music from Zorba the Greek, a criminal gang preparing to shoot another gang, but which was also preparing, and yet neither side knows exactly who is up against them and what their objectives are. Guy Ritchie already brought out everything I love about his films in his debut. Plus Sting. (15/03/2021)

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. (23/11/2021)

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. (28/05/2012)

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. (16/04/2007)

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. (18/02/2006)