Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Rating: 7/10 (30 July 2015)

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 performed by the cast, 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 ruffians (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 whether 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'
7/10