If you've seen "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels", you know what to expect

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2001)

Ritchie doesn't go to any great lengths to bring anything new to his formula. But then, the formula worked brilliantly, so why should he? While it could qualify as more of the same, and certain sequences are a little too showy, hyper and loudly stylistic, this is still an impressive piece of work. It moves at a mighty pace, and is never, ever dull. What's most impressive is the way it manages to keep track of a massive number of characters. There's a sequence in the opening that gives us still shots of every character while flashing their name onscreen; it goes on for some time, and you're bound to think you'll never keep everybody straight. It's a credit to Ritchie's storytelling abilities that it's never a problem. In fact, he makes it all seem quite simple. And while many crime films have now borrowed Tarantino's time-warping style, this one does take a new approach to it. The entire cast does great work, although Pitt is going to take an unfair amount of the praise here in America. He's hilarious, yes, but so is everyone here; even the dog. 8 out of 10.