Style over content, but manages to work

Rating: 7/10 (12 May 2000)

With the initial fear that Snatch would serve as little more than a Lock, Stock part 2, I was pleasantly surprised by what turned out to be a better acted, and in places, better paced second film by Guy Ritchie. Although at times the editing does much to jar the flow of the story, it still manages to hold the attention, and provides a number of great set pieces and laughs. Praised for his first foray in front of the screen in Lock Stock, Vinnie Jones goes one better in this film with an extremely good cameo. It is also great to see the underrated Benicto Del Torro in use, all be it under-used yet again. Brad Pitt manages to work a great comedy performance out of his boxing pikey, and, with the labourious Nick Moran and the ridiculous Dexter Fletcher dropped for this film, the acting seems alltogether more professional and more believable at every level. Ritchie shows more flashes of inventiveness, and with an amazing finale, Snatch will undoubtedly stand on its own merits rather than being dismissed as formaliac under-performance from all involved.