Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Stupidity can be a saving grace, for such an unfortunate state of mind causes the unexpected to happen (wisdom and foolishness are much alike, for both are indifferent to the opinions of the world). In the violent, testosterone laden underworld of London several unhinged, inexperienced and desperate characters tempt fate in this manner. They pool their resources and talents in the hope of winning a high stakes poker game. Of course, it does not go as planned and they find themselves at the mercy of thugs, bounty hunters, loan sharks, mobsters and other assorted wankers. Multiple people converge on a single target, and the smartest - or dumbest - will emerge from the fray.Guy Ritchie has a pulse on the dark humor, snarky characters and viciousness of the London underworld and it is fascinating and thrilling to behold. This low-budget first film brought him fame and comparisons to Tarantino. Insults fly as much as bullets. The soundtrack, including the Stone Roses, is quite good. I saw the film twice and liked it better the first time. Perhaps Ritchie films are losing the initial quirkiness and uniqueness that gave them luster? For Americans to try to get a grip on British English, subtitles are essential.

Guy Ritchie's direction used to be spot on fun. In this film, a gambler runs up a debt with ty he worst sort and he & his crew need to find a way to repay it. Their machinations and the antics of the other men in this film touch on slapstick, underlaid with some killer, quick diogue. This is vintage Ritchie. It's only a 9 because some of the British accents make it important for the untrained ear to pay very close attention. And I say vintage Ritchie snice his last King Arthur legend film was such a disappointment.However, this film, Snatch, and Rock n Rolla are a truly fun trilogy and so worth the time spent watching. Binge all three.

Lock Stock is a superbly put together film. In just under an hour and 45 minutes it will throw you into a corner of London, dominated by thugs, drugs, violence and Cockney slang that you'll never want to leave. From the tight knit main characters to the outsiders in it for a few bob, the films mastery of over-arcing story lines left me laughing out loud and gritting my teeth in suspense. Guy Ritchie's writing is brilliant throughout; as an Englishman from the north, it felt like the dialogue was in a language I could almost understand, but gave me the warming sense like had I have been a character in the film, I most surely have been out of my depth. I loved the adventure of it, it's an incredibly immersive film that only my top scoring IMDb rated films are partial to receive. The film has unsurprisingly gone on to be an unmissable classic and should be welcome in almost anyone's film collection. It's a film that i would be happy to watch again and again, and that I likely will, for years to come.

Bacon, Soap and the guys have a plan. All 4 will put up 25K for a 100k high stakes poker game and make it rich, split the winnings. When Harry, cheats in the game the gang finds themselves oweing him half a million. Their neighbors are crooks and going to knock off some drug dealers. The gang decides they will rob the bad guys to get the money to pay Harry. Seems like a simple plan, and then things start to go wrong. A really good movie. One of Stathem's earlier flicks in which he actually doesn't fight. The movie starts out with 4 story lines that seem separate but then are all interlinked come the movie's end. It has some comedic moments mixed in too. The best part is the ending. It is kind of a choose your own adventure ending where they leave you just enough to decide how you want it to end of the gang. If you have not seen it and you enjoy Pulp Fiction type movies you will enjoy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.