Funny and entertaining! A must-see!

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2003)

The very first film directed by Mr. Guy Ritchie, and it doesn't disappoint. The use of an ensemble cast is very effective as all the characters are distinct and colourful.
The basic plot, involving a rigged card game and a pair of antique muskets is very interesting and it's nice to see how everyone gets mixed up in it. The performances in the picture are very good. The main group (Moran, Flemyng, Fletcher and Statham) are very good, particularly Fletcher as the creepy Soap. Frank Harper is very menacing as the aptly-named heavy Dog, Moriarty and McLean are on good form as our two main bad guys, Vas Blackwood is great as the afro-sporting crime boss Rory Breaker (aptly described by everyone as a f***ing lunatic) and Vinnie Jones, in his acting debut is very good as well.
Providing humour are Jake Abraham and Victor McGuire as a pair of inept scouse thieves. These guys are very funny. I just wish that more could have been done with them. There's also a nice cameo from RED DWARF's Danny John-Jules as a rhyming-slang spouting barfly.
All in all, LOCK STOCK is a very fine film, brilliantly shot and edited and with a fine music score. It's also violent of course and even though it's funny, there are some hairy bits. But I guarantee you'll love it!