Review of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) by Drew O — 22 Oct 2012

Before the greatness that was Snatch, Guy Ritchie made Lock, Stock. Similar in plot, writing, and characters to Snatch, one would think that this one would be great as well. And great it is, although not to the extent of Snatch.

Lock, Stock starts off a little rough and not as smoothly (or crazily, however you put it) as its successor. The first 15 minutes or so is generally spent introducing the characters and loosely following any sort of plot. There is a lot of characters that aren't very unique in their own ways, and your mind gets a little numb trying to remember their relevance to the story. Having so many characters and plot lines makes this story a little more difficult to follow than Snatch.(I'm comparing the two a little much, but they're too similar to avoid comparison) The lighting is also rather annoying. It makes it difficult to see some scenes and while it does add a great visual style to the film, it makes it a little difficult to see and take in the settings.

The flaws basically end right there. The rest of the film is wonderfully chaotic and pure fun. The dialog is extremely entertaining and infinitely quotable. Most of the cast does a fine job, each giving their own qualities to their own character. The many stories also cleverly all come together and make for a superb and exciting climax that makes everything worthwhile. And what a hilarious ending.

When it's all said and done, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels may be a little messy, but the controlled chaos at the steady hand of Guy Ritchie and his excellent dialog, Lock, Stock is a breathless entertainer.