Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1999)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Guy Ritchie makes an outstanding debut with LSATSB, a lively, witty and hilarious caper filled with countless twists and turns and impeccably consistent unpredictability. The film has an ensemble casting that… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Guy Ritchie makes an outstanding debut with LSATSB, a lively, witty and hilarious caper filled with countless twists and turns and impeccably consistent unpredictability. The film has an ensemble casting that is absolutely perfect, i'm guessing there are about 9 central characters all together, and each and every one is always interesting and the dialogue and performances are perfect in completely equal measure. It precisely captures the grungy style it's aiming for with the unpleasant street and night club environments and eye poppingly stylish set pieces filled to the last corner with dirt, drugs and a hell of a lot of corpses. Although stupid it's wonderfully written and very very funny.

• Chris W

  
  I didn't think it was quite a masterpiece, but it came pretty damn close. This movie pretty much put Guy Ritchie on the map, kinda like what Reservoir Dogs did for Tarantino. Now, Ritchie claimed to have never seen any Tarantino film before he made this, but I have a hard time… More
  I didn't think it was quite a masterpiece, but it came pretty damn close. This movie pretty much put Guy Ritchie on the map, kinda like what Reservoir Dogs did for Tarantino. Now, Ritchie claimed to have never seen any Tarantino film before he made this, but I have a hard time believing that. This feels like a nice cross between Trainspotting and Pulp Fiction, but, unlike other imitators (intentional or otherwise), this films stands out on its own merits. I like the grainy desaturated looks of things. To me, it added to the gritty atmosphere. It's cool that Ritchie uses basically every flashy camera trick he can think if, but it's too bad that those things overshadow the fact that the story is almost needlessly complex. It's a straightforward plot, but presented in a fashion that is most certainly not that way. I kept up with things better than I thought, but still-the script needs some tweaking. Overall, this is highly entertaining, quite hilarious, and features a good cast. I'm glad I finally saw it. You should do the same.

• Dan S

  
  A terrifically entertaining Tarantino-esque exercise in foul-mouth dialogue and violent altercations, concerning a card guru (Nick Moran) who gets cheated by a corrupt porn lord in a high-stakes game of poker where he goes to far in, and thus owes him half a million pounds within a… More
  A terrifically entertaining Tarantino-esque exercise in foul-mouth dialogue and violent altercations, concerning a card guru (Nick Moran) who gets cheated by a corrupt porn lord in a high-stakes game of poker where he goes to far in, and thus owes him half a million pounds within a short-period of time. It is dirty, nihilistic, and occasionally too flashy, but like Ritchie's only other solid film ("Snatch") it maintains a dark sense of humor throughout, a tight running time, and some hilariously flawed characters who prove to be eternal screw-ups. Sure, the character development kind of sucks and there is not a huge reason to care for anyone in this story, but it gets away with it just because it is so darn entertaining and contains twists and turns that keep your attention. "Pulp Fiction" remains the ultimate masterpiece in terms of detailing the seedy underbelly of society with the skill to work in a devilish sense of humor, but 'Lock' proves to be a welcome version that will hold one's attention.

• Cynthia S

  
  Gorgeously stylistic tale about petty thieves, and an amusingly circular double-cross. I am no critic, but I do know what makes me laugh, and this movie IS IT! Fun movie!

• Taylor R

  
  A compulsively watchable, ridiculously entertaining film - probably the best of the crime comedies that swept the 1990's after "Pulp Fiction." Everything about it - the music, the eclectic nicknames, the mistaken identities, even the occasionally cheesy acting and… More
  A compulsively watchable, ridiculously entertaining film - probably the best of the crime comedies that swept the 1990's after "Pulp Fiction." Everything about it - the music, the eclectic nicknames, the mistaken identities, even the occasionally cheesy acting and sepia cinematography - comes together to make an intelligent, ambitious, almost restless picture. Good, good stuff.

• Mike S

  
  Guy Ritchie's directorial debut is a verbally explosive crime-caper, with lots of clever and witty dialogue and a top notch cast. Original in style and highly entertaining, there's really no film quite like it. The only one that comes close to it is <i>Snatch</i>… More
  Guy Ritchie's directorial debut is a verbally explosive crime-caper, with lots of clever and witty dialogue and a top notch cast. Original in style and highly entertaining, there's really no film quite like it. The only one that comes close to it is <i>Snatch</i> - which is another gangster gem by Ritchie, but that doesn't really match the brilliance of this one. So if you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you do so at first opportunity. Because it's so far above the median line that it plays in a whole different league. One of the coolest films you'll ever see and a personal favourite mine that never gets old.

• Film C

  
  What can i say another Guy Ritchie movie that doesn't disappoint. Another hilariously funny, ganster comedy that is funny and isn't short of its gun fights. Really worth the watch

• Phil H

  
  Ritchie uses almost every known British character actor/soap star for his gang romp revolving around the simple premise of some guys owing a gang boss a large amount of money. The cast is impressive you gotta admit, of course you gotta be British to probably get the most from it but… More
  Ritchie uses almost every known British character actor/soap star for his gang romp revolving around the simple premise of some guys owing a gang boss a large amount of money. The cast is impressive you gotta admit, of course you gotta be British to probably get the most from it but the collection of oddballs and gangsters are all so well cast and played it just shoves the seedy, gritty, dirty, 'Del boy' London grim in your face perfectly. There is certainly a Tarantino style going on throughout as the story tends to twist n turn amongst all the dreary looking locations, the whole film seems to have a brownish tint to it, almost an enforced grimy hue to really bring the rough dilapidated streets of London to life. To be honest you don't even need to follow the story you just watch it for the continuous use of cockney slang and hints of vicious violence between various roughians, (a case of less is more with the violence) at the same time all this is accompanied by a glorious soundtrack. A slick cool visage of thugs and wheeler dealers of varying levels of intelligence all mixed with a dark gallows humour that makes you unsure wether to giggle or shy away. The four main characters are a good balance of your classic 'EastEnders' types with a dollop of 'Only Fools n Horses' comedy on top in a world where the Kray brothers could still be walking the streets and where Vinnie Jones as 'Big Chris' brings another level of atmosphere with his final act. Bosh! job done Guv'

• Kristijonas F

  
  A dastardly funny and witty Brit-Gangster film from Guy Ritchie.

• Aditya G

  
  Guy Ritchie's 1998 gangster drama + black comedy is really a heist film, but there are just so many heist tracks involved, that if you even blink or take a coffee break, you are bound to miss at least one track in this mix of heists and lose track of who's heisting who and… More
  Guy Ritchie's 1998 gangster drama + black comedy is really a heist film, but there are just so many heist tracks involved, that if you even blink or take a coffee break, you are bound to miss at least one track in this mix of heists and lose track of who's heisting who and for what purpose! There isn't any exaggeration in the above statement, as you would know as you watch this film. The film centers around a group of four friends, Bacon(Jason Statham), Soap(Dexter Fletcher), Tom(Jason Flemyng) and Eddie(Nick Moran). All of them shell out 25 grand 'quid' each so that Ed can play a game with (H)'arry "the (H)'atchet" Lonsdale. But the game is fixed by Harry's bodyguard, Barry the Baptist, as he knows that Ed is a genius at cards. And thus, Ed puts in the 100 grand he and his friends had put up and ends up owing Harry 500 grand! Harry gives him a week's time to pay in full, else Baptist threatens Ed that for each day that goes without payment after one week is up, him and his friends start losing their fingers one by one, and when those are exhausted, they will go for Ed's father, JD's (Sting) bar. As luck would have it, Ed is next door neighbours to a gang of thieves who are dealing with some weed growers. The neighbours hatch a plan to rob the marijuana growers. This plan is overheard by Ed who in turn makes his own plan to rob these robbers! The plan while seemingly simple, of course turns complex, because London's a small world and people just seem to bump into each other out of nowhere! Add to that the parallel story of a job handed out to a couple of small-time hoodlums to rob a place full of antiques, again by Barry the Baptist at the behest of Harry, of course. He is interested in two very valuable shotguns (as in "guuns (sic) that fire shots"!) from the antique lot, which also seem to exchange a lot of hands in this whole mix-up! While Ritchie cooks up an interesting mix of stories from different vantage points and involving a whole bunch of robbers and weed sellers, he does seem to go a bit too far with the convenient coincidences which are aplenty. But he cannot be entirely blamed, for this sort of story has to rely on such plot elements to carry the story forward and to bring in that "comedy" element to the "black"ness of it all. That said, this film is immensely entertaining, very stylishly shot, with some great background score, some darkly comic dialog, superb performances from the entire cast; some notable mentions include: Vinnie Jones as Big Chris: Superb as the guy who collects debts for Harry Lenny McLean as big-guy Barry "the Baptist": Menacing personality, with a heavy accent and hilariously wicked! Vas Blackwood as Rory Breaker: Perhaps the best of the lot, he gets some of the sharpest and funniest lines and delivers them with gusto! Splendid! Jake Abraham and Victor McGuire as the bungling small-time criminals Dean and Gary respectively: Class act! Last but not the least, the four "heroes" of this whole chaos: Jason Flemyng as Tom, Dexter Fletcher as Soap, Nick Moran as Eddie and Jason Statham as Bacon: all great! Do watch this film for its blend of Crime and Comedy that is just right...like a refreshingly smooth cocktail! Recommended!

• Manu G

  
  Great Movie!!! This movie really was entertaining and interesting, there's a twist in every part, it totally comes at you unexpected. Guy Ritchie does it again!!! Long-time friends; Bacon, Soap, Tom and Eddie decide to put together £100,000 to play 3 card brag against… More
  Great Movie!!! This movie really was entertaining and interesting, there's a twist in every part, it totally comes at you unexpected. Guy Ritchie does it again!!! Long-time friends; Bacon, Soap, Tom and Eddie decide to put together £100,000 to play 3 card brag against "Hatchet" Harry Lonsdale - a porn king of notorious disposition - in a high-stakes card game in the hopes of winning easy money. Aided by Barry "the Baptist", Harry's personal bodyguard and counselor, the game is fixed so that Eddie, the card shark representing the group, loses to Harry and is forced to pay a £500,000 debt within one week, citing the loss of fingers and Eddie's father's bar if he fails to pay. To Eddie's fortune, and the dismay of his friends, all four of the group are tasked with honoring this debt, as they were all responsible for fronting the stake money. Harrys loyal and violent debt collector, Big Chris - who often brings his son and apprentice, Little Chris, to his work - is assigned to collect the payment on the due date. After several days and no ideas to come up with the money, Eddie returns home and overhears his neighbors, a gang of thieves known for robbing drug dealers, planning a heist on some marijuana growers supposedly loaded with cash and drugs. Eddie relays this information to the group, intending for all of them to rob the neighbors as they come back from their heist, therefore solving the debt. Tom uses his connection with an underground dealer, known as Nick "the Greek", to provide them with guns for the job, and to find someone to help them move the drugs. Nick then manages to acquire a pair of antique shotguns, and arrange a deal with Rory Breaker, a gangster and sociopath, to purchase the stolen weed. Prior to the card game, a pair of lowlife criminals, Gary and Dean, were hired by Barry to rob a bankrupt millionaire for Harry, who wanted a specific pair of antique shotguns from the stolen pile for his personal collection. The two guns that Harry wanted, however, were the ones that Gary and Dean sold prematurely to Nick after the robbery. An enraged Barry then threatens the two into getting them back. The neighbors' heist goes underway; Dog, the leader of the gang, learned of the weed chemists from one of the members, and uses his connections to the group to catch them off guard. Despite having a gang member killed by his own Bren Gun, and an incriminating encounter with a traffic warden, the job is otherwise a success. Unfortunately as they come back to the hideout, the four friends ambush the neighbors and take the loot, who later return that night to stash the goods next door, and then celebrate with a wild night of drinking. The various characters finally collide when Rory discovers that the weed he was going to purchase was in fact his; the weed chemists that were robbed were under his employ. Rory interrogates Nick into revealing where the four friends live, and uses one of the chemists to identify the robbers. That same morning, Dog has become furious at having been cheated and, during a tirade, he launches one of his men into a wall, who discovers (through the hole he makes as a result) various sound recording equipment; Dog realizes that his neighbors were the ones who robbed him, and has the men prepare to ambush the friends in the flat as he takes the antique shotguns and counts the money. Gary and Dean call Nick, who (in frustration) directs them to the same address in their search for the antique shotguns, while Big Chris and his son depart to collect the debt, and the four friends drive home from the bar. Rory and his gang assault the flat and enter a shootout with the neighbors, resulting in the deaths of all but Dog and the lone chemist to survive the slaughter, with the latter taking off with the marijuana. Dog is mugged by Big Chris of the shotguns and money during his escape, Gary and Dean stealthily follow Big Chris, and the four friends finally return to the flat, shocked by the carnage and the missing loot. Big Chris then gives the guns and cash to Harry, and as he returns to his car he encounters Dog threatening his son, who wants him to get the loot back from Harry. Desperate to get the guns, Gary and Dean attack Harry and Barry at their office, realizing who they were at the last minute before killing each other in another violent shootout. The four friends soon arrive to find another scene of carnage, and take the opportunity to re-steal the debt money, mystified by their strange fortune. Big Chris then crashes into their car to disable Dog, and after brutalizing him with his car door, he takes the debt money back from the unconscious friends, only to find his employer dead, and Tom just about to make off with the antique shotguns, which he'd briefly paused to examine. The remaining friends were arrested, but were declared innocent after the traffic warden from earlier identified the neighbors bodies as the prime suspects. The four reunite at Eddies fathers bar, and decide to have Tom get rid of the only evidence linking them to all the bloodshed the shotguns. After Tom leaves, Big Chris arrives to bid them farewell, and gives them a catalog on antique guns. Big Chris then leaves, having kept the debt money for himself and his son. A quick perusal of the book reveals that the shotguns the four had bought for the job were each worth a fortune, and so they desperately try to call Tom. The film ends in a cliffhanger when Toms cell phone, stuffed in his mouth, starts ringing as he hangs over the side of a bridge, preparing to drop the shotguns into the River Thames.

• Jennifer D

  
  Well... considering I'm not sure I understood every third word, I think it ranked very high! Okay, it wasn't that bad. Maybe every fifth word. Still, lovely puzzling plot with lots of humor and British slang. One thing I really appreciated about this film was the cut away… More
  Well... considering I'm not sure I understood every third word, I think it ranked very high! Okay, it wasn't that bad. Maybe every fifth word. Still, lovely puzzling plot with lots of humor and British slang. One thing I really appreciated about this film was the cut away from violence. In modern films it's so rarely done, so when it is I appreciate it. Not that I mind violence. Not at all. But sometimes it can get a little blase. It was fun and funny and just nail-biting enough if you came to like the four main guys as I did.

• Drew S

  
  So fun and so energetic, but I really wish I knew what the fuck was going on in it.

• Conner R

  
  Just an all around amazing movie. I can't think of a time where the movie isn't either making you laugh or giving you a perfect heist storyline. It's one of the ultimate pulp tales of all time and nothing short of brilliance. It improves upon everything done in Pulp… More
  Just an all around amazing movie. I can't think of a time where the movie isn't either making you laugh or giving you a perfect heist storyline. It's one of the ultimate pulp tales of all time and nothing short of brilliance. It improves upon everything done in Pulp Fiction and makes it more than a criticism of pop culture violence and storytelling. Guy Ritchie's directing is a lot more humble, stylish and fun. The writing is rich and full, but without anything too heavy handed or outlandish. Vinnie Jones was one of my favorite aspects of the entire movie, his relentlessness knew no bounds and he's also the most devoted father. Jason Statham also proves himself to be a god as Bacon, the street peddler and badass extraordinaire. Nick Moran and Jason Flemyng are a great addition to the cast and make you fall in love with the movie even more. It's everything you go to the movies in hopes to see.

• Richard C

  
  funny and exciting, a great movie, I loved it. A-

• Al S

  
  Outrageously funny, stylish and original. Hysterical and brilliant. A barrels blazing good time. Non-stop fun. A brilliant crime comedy that packs plenty of twist, colorful characters and unraveling plot. Director, Guy Richie is a gifted and talented filmmaker that guides a very… More
  Outrageously funny, stylish and original. Hysterical and brilliant. A barrels blazing good time. Non-stop fun. A brilliant crime comedy that packs plenty of twist, colorful characters and unraveling plot. Director, Guy Richie is a gifted and talented filmmaker that guides a very talented and charming cast. A wicked soundtrack. Loaded with bullets, great laughs and terrific surprises. You wont be able to get enough of this flick because it's so much fun.

• Alice S

  
  It's fine. Some cool lines and twists. I knew what was going on the entire time, but I still felt confused while watching, which leads me to believe this movie is much ado about something mediocre.

• Derek D

  
  Have you seen Snatch and RocknRolla? Then you no doubt started out with this film. Guy's movies are all pretty much the same, which isn't always a bad thing if you're really into the British gangster thing. He's a supreme dialogue writer, maybe second only to… More
  Have you seen Snatch and RocknRolla? Then you no doubt started out with this film. Guy's movies are all pretty much the same, which isn't always a bad thing if you're really into the British gangster thing. He's a supreme dialogue writer, maybe second only to Tarantino and his films are never boring but they may get a bit old if he stays on track like this.

• Cassandra M

  
  Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is set in London where four close friends Eddie (Nick Moran), Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom (Jason Flemying) & Soap (Dezter Fletcher) all chip in £25,000 to make up the £100,000 entrance fee to a big high stakes poker game held by hard as nails… More
  Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is set in London where four close friends Eddie (Nick Moran), Bacon (Jason Statham), Tom (Jason Flemying) & Soap (Dezter Fletcher) all chip in £25,000 to make up the £100,000 entrance fee to a big high stakes poker game held by hard as nails villain & crime boss 'Hatchet' Harry Lonsdale (P.H. Moriarty). Eddie is an expert poker player & figures he can make each of them a clear £100,00 profit, if they play their cards right (ha!). Unfortunately 'Hatchet' Harry doesn't like losing & cheats, Eddie not only loses the £100,000 but actually ends up owing 'Hatchet' Harry £500,000 after borrowing it from him to continue in the game. 'Hatchet' Harry is not the sort of person you owe money to, Eddie & his friends must find a way to raise a half a million pounds in the next four days or start losing their fingers... This English production was written & directed by Guy Ritchie & has already deservedly reached pretty much classic status, in fact it still resides in the IMDb's top 250 films list over ten years since it was originally released & for me it throughly deserves to be there. It's just a wonderfully entertaining, witty, funny, clever British crime caper with bags of personality & at the time it was made originality although in the ten years since it was released many a British film has ripped it off trying to recreate it's success. There are a few things which make Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels so brilliant. First it's just so funny, I have seen Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels several times now & I laugh my head off every time, the really funny dialogue, the spot on performances, the hilarious one liners, the use of funny cockney rhyming slang & the things which happen along with the often bizarre situations the character's find themselves in means there isn't a scene that goes by where something funny doesn't happen or there isn't some instantly quotable insult or one liner. Secondly the character's are great, they have real depth & the good guy's are very likable so you root for them while the bad guy's are real nasty pieces of work so as a consequence you don't root for them, just the way it should be. Then there's the plot which at the time was fresh, new, original, clever, witty, full of great twists & turns & there's certainly plenty going on which rather improbably all come together at the end in a somewhat far fetched way but when a film is as entertaining, clever & downright funny as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels you just tend to go with it. A brilliantly funny British comedy crime caper, one of my favourite films ever & it's as simple & straight forward as that. Director Ritchie really injects some style, pace & energy into the film with various tricks which never become gimmicky or intrusive & only help tell a brilliantly story with style, originality & panache. Not only did Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels revolutionise the British crime caper genre with it's story telling but it has also influenced plenty of films since with it's slick editing & visual techniques. There's a fantastic soundtrack too, I really can't think of one bad thing to say about Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels which is pretty high praise in itself as I am not easily pleased. There's a fair amount of violence but nothing overly graphic & a lot of it is played for laughs as is the bad language & profanity of which there is a lot. In fact I don't there is a single scene which doesn't involve the use of strong language at some point. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels had a budget of about £960,000 which is simply amazing, a film this good & this stylish for less than a million? Shot on location in & around London Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels were the film debuts of both ex footballer Vinnie Jones & Jason Statham who have both done very well off the back of it. During the final credits the film is dedicated to ex bare knuckle fighter Lenny McClean who played Barry the Baptist & who died of cancer shortly before the film premiered. The acting is great from all involved, there's boyish charm to downright menacing criminal unpleasantness. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a brilliantly funny, witty, clever & entertaining British crime caper that is a true genre great & one of my own personal favourite films ever. Ritchie followed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels up with the equally brilliant British crime caper Snatch (2000) a couple of years later.

• Anthony L

  
  This is not a great British film, its crap like this that damage the British film industry in my opinion. It's full of dodgy accents and represents no one who actually lives in London. It's only saving grace is some rather good cinematography.

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