Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2514 in DVD
• Released on: 2002-11-05
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 108 minutes

Amazon.com
Cockney boys Tom, Soap, Eddie, and Bacon are in a bind; they owe seedy criminal and porn king "Hatchet" Harry a sizable amount of cash after Eddie loses half a million in a rigged game of poker. Hot on their tails is a thug named Big Chris who intends to send them all to the hospital if they don't come up with the cash in the allotted time. Add into the mix an incompetent set of ganja cultivators, two dimwitted robbers, a "madman" with an afro, and a ruthless band of drug dealers and you have an astonishing movie called Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Before the boys can blink, they are caught up in a labyrinth of double-crosses that lead to a multitude of dead bodies, copious amounts of drugs, and two antique rifles.

Written and directed by talented newcomer Guy Ritchie, this is one of those movies that was destined to become an instant cult classic à la Reservoir Dogs. Although some comparisons were drawn between Ritchie and Quentin Tarantino, it would be unfair to discount the brilliant wit of the story and the innovative camerawork that the director brings to his debut feature. Not since The Krays has there been such an accurate depiction of the East End and its more colorful characters. Indicative of the social stratosphere in London, Ritchie's movie is a hilarious and at times touching account of friendships and loyalty. The director and his mates (who make up most of the cast) clearly are enjoying themselves here. This comes across in some shining performances, in particular from ex-footballer Vinnie Jones (Big Chris) and an over-the-top Vas Blackwood (as Rory Breaker), who very nearly steals the show. Full of quirky vernacular and clever tension-packed action sequences, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a triumph--a perfect blend of intelligence, humor, and suspense. --Jeremy Storey

From The New Yorker
This début film from Guy Ritchie, a young English writer and director, was a big hit in Britain, though it's hard to see why. Four London lads owe half a million pounds to a man with the subtle sobriquet of Hatchet Harry. Learning of an upcoming drug theft, they lie in wait and rob the robbers; all goes well until their fence, Nick the Greek (Stephen Marcus), unwittingly tries to sell the drugs back to the very person who owned them in the first place. It's a neat twist in a nicely wrapped plot; if only the rest of his flimsy film lived up to it. Ritchie has previously shot commercials, and he can't begin to shake the habit; he treats the camera as a decorative toy-something you spin around at the first threatening hint of normality. Thank heaven, then, for Vinnie Jones, who plays a debt collector called Big Chris. Jones used to be a soccer player of fearsome repute, and he still stares at other men as if deciding where exactly to kick them. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Another B-list smash hit from Guy Ritchie
To be blunt, this movie is a MUST SEE. For those who've seen 'Snatch' (many of us have been riveted to the screen for multiple viewings), this earlier release is as satisfying as a mountain of buttery mashed-potatoes at Thanksgiving. Ritchie cleverly uses some of the same talented actors (in completely different roles) to prepare this buffet of violence and brilliant acting. Multiple precarious and fast-paced scenarios inevitably run head-on at eachother as if drawn by the power of giant magnet. Upon meeting in a clash, the chaos and irony is unmatched. Action and violence are pushed to the limits and those left standing are our heroes...yes, even the bad guys. For lovers of action films, this movie should be in your library. Same goes for lovers of intelligent scripts, bitter sarcasm and non-stop movement.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
This is one of my favorite movies. I saw it I was on a plane and kept attracting quizzical looks from the other passengers every time I laughed out loud. Even after many viewings I am still laughing out loud.

Hilarious
I love Jason Statham and got this movie and "Snatch" to add to my collection. While he isn't the star of the movie, he does play an interesting character. I'm not normally a fan of British films and humor, but I love these films. You'll watch them over and over again and always find something new. And you will have to watch them a few times to catch everything.