Over-rated. Too inspired. But, not all the way worthless.

Rating: 5/10 (18 February 2000)

Surprisingly hyped, mediocre, but relatively entertaining film. Curious as a cult hit and pretty big splash over seas, but i found it to amount to nothing more than another hip gangster film clone. Pulp Fiction mined such territory perfectly, and Lock, Stock... belongs with all those other pale imitators like 3 Days in the Valley and Things to do in Denver... I guess the British gobbled it up because it was something they could call their own, something hip instead of another bland Merchant-Ivory tea cozy film.
The whole hip modern gangster genre lends itself to such cookie cutter plotting. They all become far too obvious. Basically, every character in Lock, Stock... is a thug, and every character has bits of humor laced in. They can all be divided into two camps-the likeable small time criminals like our protagonists, and the menacing underworld figures like Hatchet Harry, Big Chris (though he's on the intimidating AND likeable side because of his son), and Rory Breaker. All in all, most of the characters have very little in terms of development, most are just caricatures, and are defined, more less, just by their cool sounding names.
The chain reaction of events is about the only thing that holds the film together. As disappointing the characters and story may be, you still can't help but want to see how it all comes to a head at the conclusion.
Ritchie didn't strike me as any great wunderkind. The story does have its moments, but it doesn't feel original. (example: the unexpected, "guy gets hit by a car out of nowhere" was already used in Pulp Fiction, and, as some might not know,Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and the novella Perdita Durango)File it under, I've seen all it before, and better. Directing-wise he falls prey to relying on the same devices to the point of becoming tiresome (the slo motion, the tracking shot scenes, ect.), and any personal flair he may have suffers under this reliance. He didnt strike me as very special, like, say, Hard Eight did for P.T Anderson, Bad Taste with Peter Jackson, or other such debuts. The look of the film- As a photographer, I personally hold much disdain for the whole harsh lighting thing he uses in indoor scenes. Grainy film is great, but the overexposure and sheen that the lighting gives turns my stomach.
Best character- the strong presence of Vinnie Jones as Big Chris. Worst character- Vas Blackwood as Rory Breaker, who in no way intimidated or impressed me as the film so much desired him too.