Better than "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels" - more fun, more lively, and generally just better

Rating: 8/10 (3 September 2005)

I saw Guy Ritchie's "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and thought it was an extremely disappointing piece of '90s cinema - I specify it was made in the 1990s because it's another one of those Quentin Tarantino rip-offs that borrow his directorial trademarks - the violence punctuated by irony and dark humor, the intertwining stories, the morally dark characters who have no remorse.
"Snatch" is a great deal better. Some people claim it's Guy Ritchie selling out to the American market because it stars Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro and Dennis Farina. If he's "selling out," he's buying something better with the money - this is a lot more fun to watch than "Two Smoking Barrels." Simply put, it's directed much better. I felt like "Barrels" was a British TV commercial extended to full length - all style over substance. "Snatch" has similar style but there's more substance.
As for the performances... everyone is great. Del Toro opens the movie with a bank robbery - he steals a precious diamond and tries to sell it. This moves on to Jason Statham, as a boxing promoter, and his story ties into the previous one. This goes on and on and invites new characters into the mix.
The standout is of course Brad Pitt. When I lived in England we had Pikeys living around us and they annoyed the hell out of me. They were constantly speeding down our road and stealing stuff. Once they smashed their van through a neighbor's fence, then fled the scene of the accident - as if the police wouldn't figure out who it was.
Watching "Snatch" I was reminded of this and thought it was particularly memorable because I've never seen a "Pikey" in a movie before. Brad Pitt basically mumbles his way through the movie and he and his pack really do come across as genuine Pikeys.
I hate to sound like a typical American when I say "Snatch" is better than "Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels," but I honestly think the plot, the direction and the acting is superior here. Statham is still great and Pitt is surprisingly effective in his role. The movie is lively and fun to watch, cleverly scripted with good dialogue and although some scenes are reminiscent of Tarantino, the overall product is far better than anything else Ritchie has done - and provides more originality than his other movies, too.